Cookie Lee Undergoes a Fashion Reinvention
In April 2014, founder Debra Lin sold the company to industry veteran Debbie Millar, a successful business woman who discovered her true passion while serving as a prominent leader in the direct-selling field. "The decision to pass the baton to a new owner helps guarantee a sustainable future for Cookie Lee's home-party consultants," said Ms. Lin. "Debbie's experience in the direct-selling industry as well as her track record of entrepreneurial success and commitment to mentoring women, make her the perfect leader as the company moves forward."
As owner and CEO, Ms. Millar re-launched the brand under the ViVI name, and is introducing new contemporary designs that still sell for less than $50 and hold true to the core consumer while targeting a younger audience. ViVI will also implement state-of-the art industry technology and social selling options. One of Ms. Millar's first changes was to rename the company. "We are a company of women helping women," says Ms. Millar. "We want our Personal Stylists to 'be ViVI' and ViVI stands for vision, inspiration, value and independence. These are words that represent and speak to every woman."
In keeping ViVI a woman-run business, Ms. Millar has assembled a world-class team of executives. Assisting the direct-selling field teams and ensuring the continued, overall success of the company, two key players on Ms. Millar's core team are the vastly experienced Shawn Forbes, former senior fashion director and merchandiser of Macy's West, and Genevieve Skory, an award-winning author of direct selling training tools and programs with sales-management and leadership experience from previous positions with The Pampered Chef, Creative Memories, Ahni and Zoe, and Legacy Republic.
As ViVI, Ms. Millar and her team are fully committed to maintaining Cookie Lee's core principle of growing a community of successful women. The "Cookie Lee Sisterhood" has enabled more than 150,000 households across the United States to earn a flexible and sustainable income by allowing them to earn up to 50% profit from all jewelry sales while sharing their passion for fashion through social selling and home shows or "socials." In the past, Cookie Lee's top consultants have earned more than $1 million in sales. Incentivizing their Personal Stylists - also known as "ViVI Visionaries" - to sell more product and mentor other stylists is a key part of their personal success, one which earns the Stylist points towards the "ViVI Vacay," a lavish vacation that top-earning Personal Stylists can attend for free. "Allowing women to be the very best entrepreneurs in the direct selling space, is important to me personally and to ViVI as a company," says Ms. Millar. "Every effort will be made to continue to help women achieve their financial goals."
Among these efforts, Ms. Millar sees a strong focus on the individual development of its Personal Stylists. A significant amount of time and resources are dedicated to coaching and creating exciting marketing tools aimed at helping the company's Personal Stylists reach their financial goals, and on enhancing technology capabilities. Ms. Skory, ViVI's new Vice President of Sales and Training, will be leading these initiatives and assisting with the company's overall marketing plans.
Ms. Millar also sees technology as a key factor in propelling the company forward. ViVI's direct-selling technology will be taken to new heights with a platform called Socialite, which enables ViVI stylists to sell directly through their social media pages. Socialite gives each stylist their own mini website that connects to the company's main site through magic card dynamic links. Those links enable customers to digitally purchase product from ViVI Personal Stylists in addition to the traditional 'on the spot delivery' platform used during at-home parties.
According to a recent social media survey* conducted by Teen Vogue, the leading monitor of millennial fashion and beauty enthusiasts in America, 85% of respondents have been driven to purchase something after seeing it on a social media network. Furthermore, one in four respondents have made a purchase directly from a social network. "This is important information for us as it is gleaned directly from the younger audience we are targeting," said Ms. Millar. "We fully realize that the future of selling is in e-commerce and we see the company's future growing with the next wave of direct selling."
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