HOW AVON IS WORKING WITH IDIS
Avon – the international cosmetics and beauty
company – established its corporate social responsibility mission
in 1886 when founder David H. McConnell committed "to meet fully
the obligations of corporate citizenship by contributing to the
well-being of society and the environment in which it
functions".
Avon's approach focuses on the "three pillars": the empowerment
of women, sustainability and philanthropy.
Building on its CSR work in the UK, Avon founded the Avon
Institute in Brazil in 2003 to raise awareness around breast cancer
and foster its prevention. Its philosophy is that the mobilisation
of civil society can bring results with real potential to improve
the quality of life for Brazilian women.
The Institute acts alongside the Avon Foundation, a
non-governmental organisation which has a global mission to improve
the lives of women and their families around the world.
Since 1992, the Avon Foundation has funded projects, research and
treatments that has lead to decreased female mortality. In 2002, it
launched the ‘Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer’ campaign, known in
Brazil as ‘A Kiss for Life in Brazil’.
The Avon Institute continues to work with the Institute for the Development of Social Investment (IDIS) with the purpose of delivering maximum impact of the Foundation's
work.
ABOUT IDIS
Based in São Paulo, IDIS provides consultancy and technical
support to companies, families and communities who wish to invest
in social projects and programmes in an efficient and effective
manner. IDIS is a member of the CAF international network and
represents CAF's work in Latin America. It’s a civil society
organisation, founded with support from the WK Kellogg
Foundation.
IDIS has provided advisory services for Avon Institute's
grant-making programme and the design of their cause-related
marketing campaign. By providing strategic planning and analysis of
the results and outcomes of their social investments, IDIS has
helped the Avon Institute to define the project's purpose and
implement tools to evaluate and measure outcomes.
THE OUTCOME
The Avon Institute has raised over £9 million in Brazil through
cause-related marketing and fundraising campaigns - which has
bought 25 mammogram machines and 22 ultrasound machines to conduct
almost 1 million screenings.
Avon chose to tackle a global problem which impacted directly on
its target market on a global scale. Applying a similar formula and
approach to that used in America, the support of IDIS at a local
level ensured the campaign resonated with the local culture which
helped them achieve these fantastic results.