Mary Kay's Rhonda Shasteen Works on a Brand Makeover

“We have great products and tremendous brand loyalty. But that's a given in today's marketplace,” she says. “Our sales force — the services it provides and the relationships it has — is our competitive advantage.”

Like every big corporation, Mary Kay has detractors. A quick Google search brings up several sites run by former reps and customers who had less than optimal experience with the brand. Shasteen's team monitors the sites and message boards but doesn't actively get involved.

“We let the market work that out,” she says. “For all the naysayers, there are plenty of people who've had positive experiences. The primary thing for me is to make sure I'm aware of the discussions that are going on. There may be business issues that need to be addressed, and we need to get to the root of what may be causing negative feelings about the brand. But we don't participate in those conversations.”

What's next? Mary Kay is conducting an extensive research project called “What Women Want,” which explores women's desires and attitudes in key areas of their lives. Results will be available during the first quarter. “That'll set our strategic platform in terms of how we interact with women over the next three to five years,” Shasteen says.

Is there a chance the brand will alienate its longtime customer base as it freshens its image?

“The good news was that we found we didn't need to change the fundamentals of the brand — it rang true in the hearts and minds of women. We just needed to change the messaging. We'd never really focused on the brand before and thought whatever perception the consumers carried in their minds was OK. But with a mature market in a mature industry, you can't do that, especially today.”

Shasteen started her career at a small Dallas ad agency before joining Mary Kay in 1984. She began in human resources, planning employee activities and coordinating in-house communications. From there, she served as a brand manager in the color cosmetics and holiday gift line, ran the training department that taught the firm's independent sales force about Mary Kay's products and how to sell them, and helped coordinate sales development, assisting the reps in growth and motivation. In 1999 she was appointed CMO.

Rest assured Shasteen has absorbed the corporate culture. That includes being pulled together at all times. Skipping the lipstick is not an option.

And yet we all yearn to be casual now and then. One recent weekend Shasteen and her husband decided to leave their small farm and drive 10 miles across town to a new gourmet grocer. “I threw on some jeans and a T-shirt and didn't have any makeup on. We're going up and down the aisles and who walks by but a woman who works for me at Mary Kay. I thought, oh no! I so rarely do that, and here the one time I do I get caught,” she laughs.

Shasteen is a rarity among CMOs for her sheer longevity alone. The limited tenure of some of her peers doesn't surprise Shasteen, who says many mistakenly live and die by the 30-second spot. “We know they aren't as effective as in the past, and it's hard to tie them to top-line revenue growth,” she says.

To what does she credit her own longevity on the job? Her experience on the product side.

“If you're responsible for developing product, you're looking two to three years out, following trends and shifts in social behavior. This gives you tremendous insight and makes you valuable to the organization because you understand where the market is going. It helps influence change in other parts of the firm, like distribution channels and the supply chain. I don't believe chief marketers get out of their own function often enough and add value to their company.”

Pretty in Pink

The average Mary Kay beauty consultant is married, college educated and in her mid-30s, with a greater-than-average household income. Less than 1% of the sales consultants are male. “We've had a handful of men come in and earn a pink Cadillac, but not many,” says CMO Rhonda Shasteen.

We should point out that even Shasteen doesn't have one of those coveted rose-hued autos. You must be a member of the independent sales force to earn one.

“That's always the first question I get,” she laughs. “I do drive a company-fleet Cadillac but it's bronze, not pink.”

Even in these gas-conscious times, the cars are still a popular reward for top-earning sellers. Mary Kay currently offers all six Cadillac models in pink. And here's a sign of the times: Starting this year, a pink Escalade Hybrid will be available too. — BNV