Once again, Mary Kay Cosmetics claims “best selling brand” status with some fancy math.

Another year, another claim to be the “best selling brand.” I dispute that title for the following reasons:

• It uses this funky definition of “in the combined categories of facial skin care and color cosmetics”. To me that means we mix and match the numbers until we get the answer we want.
• We’ve never actually seen the numbers behind this fancy math. We just take their word for it. I wonder what Estee Lauder or Revlon or Avon would have to say about the numbers?
• The vast majority of Mary Kay’s products never reach an end user. The sales are not really to consumers. They’re to consultants only, and lots of those products just collect dust.

Mary Kay’s announcement:

Mary Kay Earns Best-Selling Brand Title for 2006

Congratulations once again! Data from independent industry research has again placed Mary Kay as the best-selling brand in the combined categories of facial skin care and color cosmetics in the U.S. for 2006*. We know that you and your sister Independent Beauty Consultants and Independent Sales Directors have worked hard to make this possible!

This claim is based on 2006 industry data according to a syndicated study done by Kline & Company, Inc., an independent market research firm that compiles and reports sales estimates for our industry. This research report is widely used and highly respected throughout the industry and includes all our major competitors such as Estee Lauder, Olay, Clinique and Avon.

Mary Kay Inc. is extremely proud of its leadership position in a highly competitive marketplace. We know that this accomplishment reflects your ability to cultivate long-term relationships with customers by sharing Mary Kay’s wonderful skin care and color products along with Mary Kay’s philosophy and heritage. These results are truly a testament to Mary Kay’s product excellence, as well as the efforts of the independent sales force.

You might want to consider sharing this great news with customers. If so, it’s important to be sure you use it the right way. The correct statement when sharing the 2006 best-selling brand claim with customers is: Mary Kay was once again the best-selling brand in the combined categories of facial skincare and color cosmetics in the U.S. in 2006.*

Again, congratulations and thank you for making us number one!

*Based on the most recent industry sales data according to Kline & Company, Inc.’s “Cosmetics & Toiletries USA 2006” study.