Shared Experience is Key to Women’s Resilience Finds Study in Avon and Wunderman Thompson Campaign

Wunderman Thompson’s new campaign for Avon, 'My Story Matters,' invites Avon representatives and customers from all over the world to share stories of the ways in which the brand has made a difference to their lives.

Thousands of women and men have already contributed to the campaign’s 'My Story Matters' gallery, which celebrates stories of strength, grit and determination, from extraordinary triumphs to everyday wins.

Contributors come from all over the world, allowing women to connect and share their experiences in a safe space ahead of International Women’s Day. To celebrate every story shared, the Avon Foundation will also donate $1 to charities that support women to help create a better world for women.

Contributors to the gallery include Spice Girl Mel B, who is supporting Avon’s mission to end gender-based violence. She gives a very honest account of her escape from an abusive marriage, and underlines the importance of the financial independence that Avon provides for so many women.

Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse also tells the story of her life in dance and the journey that brought her from South Africa to the UK. Celebrity make-up artist Lisa Armstrong writes about her collaboration with Avon and the community that has grown up around it, while Avon model Ellie, who has Down’s Syndrome, shares the importance of the brand’s place in her life.

Kris Hallenga, founder of the CoppaFeel! breast cancer charity, also reveals her Avon story, but the main power of the site comes from the thousands of non-celebrity men and women who have contributed. So far, the Turks have been the biggest sharers, with more than 4,700 uploading to “My Story Matters,” while almost 1,000 Filipinos and 700 Russians have also joined the campaign. From the UK, 500 contributors have already shared their stories.

With fears that the coronavirus pandemic has set the fight for gender equality back decades, and the new research highlighting that 41% of women have lost confidence as a result of lockdown restrictions, Avon is determined to celebrate the achievements and stories of women and men around the world.

Contributors tell of how Avon has helped many representatives to make it through the pandemic, how it has boosted their self-esteem, or plays an important part in family history through the generations.

'My Story Matters' is the latest campaign released as part of Avon’s new ‘Watch Me Now’ global brand proposition, also created by Wunderman Thompson.

As part of the campaign, Avon has launched new research which reveals that women find strength from hearing these everyday, relatable stories and sharing experiences with others. Nearly a third say these connections help them overcome challenges (32%) and for over a third (36%) it decreases feelings of anxiety or reduces self-doubt.

The research surveyed 8,000 women globally from countries including UK, Poland, Italy, South Africa and the Philippines. It found that most women (92%), have felt increased pressure during the pandemic due to being unable to see loved ones in person (49%), financial stresses (47%), job security (29%) and home schooling (24%). Alongside these pressures, half of women (52%) admit they have felt less connected, resulting in feelings of anxiety (44%), isolation (42%), lack of motivation (34%), and self-doubt (20%).

In the UK, 81% of women have felt increased pressure during the pandemic, affected by not being able to see friends and family in person (45%), being unable to maintain relationships (28%), health worries (28%) and loneliness (27%). Lockdown hasn’t just cut women off socially though, business and public service closures have meant 21% are feeling financial stress, 16% concerns around job security and 10% pressure to home school children.

Despite over half (57%) turning to online platforms to feel connected with their peers, over a quarter (28%) of women admit they feel judged when sharing their own struggles on social media sites, 27% don’t believe anyone would be interested to hear their story and 40% don’t like to talk about themselves.

Steve Aldridge, UK chief creative officer at Wunderman Thompson said: “Watch me now’ is a reflection of Avon’s commitment to be innovative, bold, inclusive and purposeful. Building off that platform ‘My story matters’ is a powerful example of what can happen when you fuse those elements and provide a platform for women to authentically be themselves and confide without constraint. I’ve found myself completely immersed in the individual stories and would encourage everyone to take the time to read just one story. If you read one, you’ll read ten. That’s when change happens.”

Angela Cretu, Avon CEO, said: “In a world where our voices aren’t equal, in our everyday life we gather strength from people like us; those that have shared experiences. It helps gives us strength when we hear of another woman struggling with the same things we are.

“Avon’s mission is to help women overcome the barriers and challenges they face, becoming the most they can be, so this International Women’s Day we’re reclaiming our connections, we’re finding new and judgement free ways to share stories, listen to others and find inspiration in experience. Avon’s My Story Matters Gallery will give women a place to speak up, share their stories and celebrate their achievements. It will collate authentic stories from around the world, showing that women are strong, courageous, and powerful and that we should never be underestimated. The more stories we can gather and the more positive role models we can show, the more impact we will have. To celebrate every story shared, the Avon Foundation will also donate $1 to charities that support women to help create a better world for women, which is a better world for all.”