Empowering Success Through Digital Innovation: Mary Kay’s Cutting-Edge Tools and AI-Driven Equality Research

Originally published in Mary Kay's 2024 Sustainability Report

For Mary Kay, it’s mission critical: we’ve been accelerating our digital innovation efforts to unleash the full potential of women entrepreneurs. From revolutionizing Mary Kay’s Independent Beauty Consultants’ (IBCs) businesses and their customers’ experience to pioneering gender equality research in algorithms and artificial intelligence – inclusive digital upskilling is the keystone of tech transformation for a sustainable future.

DIGITAL INNOVATION AT MARY KAY

We have launched innovative digital tools, and award-winning apps featuring augmented reality (AR) to connect the Independent Beauty Consultants (IBCs) with their customers in more effective and seamless ways. We’re improving the brand experience not only for the IBCs but also for their customers around the world.

• The Mary Kay InTouch® mobile platform provides millions of IBCs around the world with 24-hour access to information and services to effectively manage their Mary Kay business.
• In Europe, our award-winning Link & Learn is an integrated, education platform comprising a robust learning curriculum IBCs can access anytime anywhere.
• Mary Kay® Skin Analyzer is a tool that brings skin care and technology together at one’s fingertips to help customers create a customized skin care routine.
• The newly launched Mary Kay Interactive Catalog brings catalogs to life with easy product ordering, GIFs and videos, shareable wish lists, instant augmented reality makeovers to apply makeup trends and color products for real life application and more.

Recognition: In 2023, Mary Kay earned an ASTRA AWARD in the category “Continuous Education and Upskilling,” by SELDIA, the European Direct Selling Association. The award recognizes our commitment to developing, training, and upskilling the community of employees, the IBCs as well as women entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs around the world.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AWARD

EQUALITY RESEARCH IN AI

Addressing potential gender bias in new technologies and working to ensure that AI technology is designed to foster equality is another path for Mary Kay to demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity as core to our mission of enriching women’s lives.

In 2020, Mary Kay partnered with the Equal Rights Trust (ERT) to pioneer a new field of research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to advocate for an “equality by design” approach.

The initiative culminated with the launch of a new set of legal standards in October 2023 – The Principles on Equality by Design in Algorithmic Decision-Making, developed by the ERT in consultation with international experts.

Did you know:

37% of women worldwide do not have access to the internet.

^{Source: International Telecommunication Union. Facts and Figures 2022 - The gender digital divide (itu.int)}