In this issue:
- List of Top 100 Companies
- DSN Welcomes Executives and Guests to its Global 100 Evening of Celebration
- Global Good: Why Direct Selling Succeeds Beyond Our Borders
- 5 Best Practices for Making It Work in the Global Market
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Global 100 Ranking
- Bravo Legacy Award: D. Gary Young: A Lasting Legacy For Future Generations
- Bravo Leadership Award: Joni Rogers-Kante: Her Vision and Focus Keep Moving SeneGence Forward
- Bravo Growth Award: MONAT: Opportunities Lead to Growth and Limitless Possibilities
- Back Page: Partners in Self-Regulation for all of Direct Selling
The DSN Global 100 Celebration recognizes the direct selling channel’s proud history of providing individuals from all walks of life unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurship and personal development.
This annual event also showcases the impact and growth potential of the $182.6 billion global direct sales channel. Worldwide, more than 107 million people are involved with direct selling, according to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations.
During this year’s ninth annual celebration, held May 2 at the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel, Direct Selling News unveiled its exclusive ranking of the top revenue-generating companies in direct selling based on prior year revenue. Hosts Lauren Lawley Head, Senior Vice President and General Manager for SUCCESS; and John Fleming, former publisher of DSN, hosted more than 200 executives from throughout the United States as well as Canada, India, China, Malaysia, Germany and New Zealand, among others.
“The identification of companies to include on the list is the culmination of months of research and the cooperation of many individuals across the world,” said Lawley Head. “The Global 100 ranking has become a benchmark for the channel and a valuable resource for the academic community.”
“We’re building businesses at a great moment in time,” said Fleming. “Never has the support and technology and the focus on real customer acquisition been greater. Never have the masses in mature economies throughout the world been more interested in some form of entrepreneurship—a method of business that allows for flexibility and freedom to work when one would like to without time constraints. Research has long stated that we are headed toward an economic landscape where the independent contractor will make up more than 50 percent of the labor force that supplies products and services. SUCCESS Partners has long identified this new economy as the YouEconomy. Others refer to it as the sharing economy or the gig economy; however, the point is that this research and its forecast favors direct selling companies.”
For the sixth consecutive year, Ada, Michigan-based Amway claimed the top spot as the No. 1 direct seller in the world, with $8.60 billon in revenue in 2017. This global giant maintains a large portfolio of top-selling brands including Nutrilite vitamin, mineral and dietary supplements, as well as Artistry skin care and color cosmetics and XL Energy Drink. Amway does business in over 100 markets through more than 3 million independent Amway business owners.
“We’re so proud to be part of an industry that supports and empowers an invigorating lifestyle for people who want to work to live, not live to work. This industry is so special, and we look forward to continue supporting and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs,” said Kim Drabik, manager of industry and shareholder relations, who accepted the award on behalf of Amway.
London, U.K.-based Avon Products once again took the No. 2 spot on this year’s DSN Global 100 list, with $5.70 billion in revenue in 2017. “Direct selling can’t be more important than it is today,” said Jan Zijderveld, Avon’s new CEO, who was traveling and shared his thoughts in a video message. “We now have about 6 million microentrepreneurs around the world. When you empower women, the whole society becomes better, more prosperous and more balanced. That’s something the direct selling industry and especially Avon does really well. It’s really something to be proud of.”
Special Guests
DSN welcomed very special guests to the dinner, including our own John Fleming and attendees from all over the United States along with representatives from Immunotec in Canada, PM-International from Germany, DXN Holdings from Malaysia, Vestige Marketing from India and New Image Group from New Zealand. Also in attendance were members of China-based Global Direct Selling Research Institute, Brian Cai and Dale Sun. This organization has provided tremendous assistance to DSN’s Global 100 research efforts in recent years.
DSN Global 100
The Global 100 have plenty to celebrate this year:
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Collectively, the Global 100 achieved more than $85.2 billion in net sales in 2017, up from $82 billion in 2016. And among those companies are 14 that grew by $100 million or more in the past year.
- In 2017, a record 24 Global 100 companies achieved more than $1 billion in net sales. Those 24 companies generated $59.6 billion for the year—approximately one-third of all global sales from the channel.
- The Top 10 companies achieved $40.6 billion in revenue last year.
- Mid-market companies—those between $300 million and $1 billion—are represented by 28 companies in this year’s ranking. Three companies are within striking distance to $1 billion; nine are in the $600-million-to-$700-million range; and another six already are at the half-billion-dollar mark.
- By region, there were 43 companies from North America in the Global 100; five from South America; six from Europe/Africa; and 46 from Asia/Asia-Pacific. A total of 18 countries were represented on the list—Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- Companies appearing in the ranking for the first time included Coway from South Korea (No. 11); Hualin from China (No. 37); Golden Days from China (No. 42); MONAT Global from the United States (No. 52); Best World International Limited from Singapore (No. 61); Alpha from China (No. 62); Prüvit from the United States (No. 67); Norland from China (No. 68); Green Leaf from China (No. 70); Kangli from China (No. 80); Vida Divina from the United States (No. 85); Usborne Books & More from the United States (No. 96); and Xyngular from the United States (No. 99).
- Companies returning to the ranking are Rodan + Fields (No. 16) and Juice Plus (No. 32) from the United States; Amore Pacific (No. 35) and LG Household & Healthcare (No. 54) from South Korea; Apollo from China (No. 53); and Cosway from Malaysia (No. 79).
The Bravo Awards
Each year, the DSN Global 100 celebration recognizes a direct selling executive whose exceptional leadership qualities have propelled his or her company to extraordinary new heights with the Bravo Leadership Award. This year’s recipient was also DSN’s Global 100 keynote speaker for 2018, SeneGence Founder and CEO Joni Rogers-Kante, whose incredible story has inspired entrepreneurs throughout the world.
Rogers-Kante began her career in direct sales with Mary Kay, where she developed a love for the channel and its ability to provide tools for women to support themselves while raising their self-esteem. A newly single mother, with little income and an uncertain future, she spent the next four years working on her dream of owning her own business. With hard work, persistence and faith, she eventually opened SeneGence. Her company has become an international leader in the cosmetics industry, best known for its long-lasting lip color products. The continued growth of SeneGence is fueled in large part by Rogers-Kante’s vision to help empower women worldwide.
She spoke of the “Amazon effect” that has forced a lot of brick and mortar retail outlets to reduce staff and/or close up shop altogether in recent years. But “the online buying experience is not the ultimate answer,” she added. “People still want to see and feel before they purchase. It’s our industry, our products, our opportunities, and our ability to provide people with an infrastructure they need to write their own destinies without fear or risk—that’s what sets us apart. Amazing, energetic, creative people who so badly want to provide a prosperous future for their families will come to our companies not only for our products, but because other options are limited to them. Now their future is in their control—not the control of companies who can lay them off at any minute.
“Independent distributors can now bring back the concept of small town family-owned businesses to any town, any city or any country they choose to through the direct selling channel,” she said. “We have at this time in history an extraordinary opportunity to create a major shift in the way products and services are purchased through a voluntary salesforce that is coming available. My story started with one, but it’s about everyone who provides support and services to this industry as our efforts reverberate throughout the world and touch others’ lives. Our industry is the industry of the future.”
This year, Direct Selling News introduced a new Bravo award: the Bravo Legacy Award, honoring an individual who has made extraordinary professional contributions to the direct selling community that will be felt for generations to come. It’s extremely fitting that D. Gary Young, founder of Young Living, was the first recipient of the Bravo Legacy Award. His dedication to quality and commitment to excellence built Young Living exponentially and helped the company surpass $1.5 billion in sales last year and $1 billion the previous two years, with revenue growing 800 percent over the past five years. Young Living is now one of the largest direct sales companies operating in the United States.
Gary Young, who passed away on May 12 soon after the Global 100 Celebration, wasn’t able to attend the event, but his wife and business partner, Mary, traveled to Dallas to accept the award on Gary’s behalf.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Mary said. “In my life, I know of no one who deserves more of this kind of recognition for what he has given to the world—he literally gave his life for what millions of people now have in Young Living. His goal was to help people in whatever capacity they needed and to see people become better than what they thought they could be—and to see happiness and joy come into their lives.”
Miami-based company MONAT received the third award, Bravo Growth Award, for increasing its annual sales an astounding 667 percent from 2016 to 2017. MONAT took a decidedly different approach in 2014 when it launched as the first company focused on developing anti-aging products specifically for hair care. The company now has more than 150,000 Market Partners in the United States, Canada, and most recently, the United Kingdom. President Stuart MacMillan and Co-Founder and CEO Rayner Urdaneta were in the United Kingdom to celebrate the company’s official launch and were unable to attend the DSN Global 100 Ceremony. However, Chief Marketing Officer Linda Padilla, Director Market Partner Experience Jason Russell, and three of MONAT’s original employees were in attendance to accept the prestigious award on behalf of the MONAT leadership team, the entire Urdaneta family and its Market Partners.
Sponsorships
SUCCESS Partners was again the lead sponsor of the DSN Global 100 Celebration. The following companies also sponsored the event:
Platinum Supplier Sponsors: Avalara, Exigo, Hyperwallet, IMPACT This Day, InfoTrax and Landmark Global.
Platinum Table Sponsors: Prüvit, SeneGence, Total Life Changes and Young Living.
Gold Table Sponsors: AdvoCare, Ambit Energy, b:hip Global, Isagenix, Jeunesse, Mannatech, MONAT, Plexus, PM-International, Stream, USANA and Zurvita. DSN