If your company turns over $10bn annual sales, employs 43,000 staff worldwide, as well as 6m representatives and is among the top 100 global brands, why would you need to launch an employer brand project?

Anne Gill, executive director HR at beauty company Avon, told Recruitment Society members at an event hosted by News International in London last week that the 125-year-old company may have longevity as a brand but it still suffers from its 1950s ‘ding dong, Avon calling’ image.

“We needed to create a compelling and consistent message to attract the best talent in areas such as sales, marketing and supply chain,” Gill, who is leading the employer branding development, told the audience.

“The branding project came about because of low knowledge of Avon. We need to attract younger, dynamic talent as associates [Avon employees as opposed to representatives].”

The branding project’s priority areas are in recruitment and on-boarding reviews, career development, flexibility and technology. “We needed an employee value proposition: what should an employee expect from Avon?” she said.

The project has been conducted alongside new advertising, building on innovation through powerful celebrity alliances such as Fergie, front-woman of the Black Eyed Peas, collaborating on a fragrance called ‘Outspoken’, with Avon sponsoring the band’s The END World Tour.

Gill continued: “Avon is the original social network, changing women’s lives worldwide by giving them the chance to become economically independent. It’s more than just a beauty company.”

The Avon brand launch will be next month for the HR community and the full launch will take place in November.