The Direct Selling Association recently presented its 2008 annual industry awards for outstanding achievement in the areas of innovation, partnership, community service and program excellence. The four companies honored during the association's recent annual meeting in Phoenix were AdvoCare International, LP, Direct Selling News, Herbalife International of America, Inc., and Learning is an Art.

AdvoCare International, LP, received DSA’s Industry Innovation award for its “AdvoBus” program. The Innovation award honors companies that have developed a new approach to some aspect of direct selling. The AdvoCare “AdvoBus” has proven to be a highly successful moving business tool that helps drives their Accelerate 08 marketing program. The AdvoBus is helping put thousands of AdvoCare distributors across the U.S. on the road to success. This vehicle is effective at building relationships, sales, new prospects and brand awareness. The innovative, revolutionary brainchild of AdvoCare President and CEO Richard Wright and his wife, Sherry, is the driving force behind increased sales and recruiting. The highly visible rolling advertisement on wheels is available to distributors at no charge to host “mixers” and special events.

Direct Selling News received DSA’s Partnership Award for its work with a number of DSA member companies. Direct Selling News serves direct selling executives and suppliers and strives to be a partner to the industry at large to help readers grow and manage their businesses. Each issue of Direct Selling News offers content on topics that shape the dynamics of our industry. Industry News features headlines from around the globe, including the latest legal and regulatory issues.  Financial Report keeps busy executives up-to-date on the latest financial trends in direct selling. Working Smart covers the tactics and strategies that enable companies to meet industry challenges, improve efficiencies and achieve business objectives. Finally, New Perspectives offers original content and insightful commentary from respected direct selling executives and industry consultants.

The recipient of the Success Award, Herbalife International of America, Inc., was recognized for program excellence for their “Wellness for Life” program. In 2005, Herbalife launched “Wellness for Life,” a program to educate employees about product usage, health and fitness and how to change their lives. Each year the program has expanded, both in depth and participation. The company holds monthly educational sessions, sports leagues, a full calendar of fitness classes each month, has a subsidized healthy menu at their Mark Hughes Café, and encourages participation on Team Herbalife in triathlons, marathons and other events. There are variations of the program in Herbalife offices around the world and their goal for 2008 is to introduce a Wellness for Life program in every Herbalife office. “Men’s Fitness” magazine named Herbalife one of the “15 Fittest Companies in America.”

Learning is an Art was awarded the Vision for Tomorrow Award for its 2007 program, Learning is an Art Charitable Work – Creating Sustainable Change. The award honors companies whose community service efforts have substantially improved the quality of life for their communities. Learning is an Art was started in January of 2006 with a vision of making a significant difference in the world through direct sales. The company donates 100% of its corporate profits to top-rated charities working in the USA and around the world. It also provides its hostesses with the opportunity to donate their hostess credit, in the form of a cash donation, to its list of carefully selected charities that are dedicated to health and human services. The company believes in helping to create sustainable change in people’s lives, and chooses to support charities and projects that help people help themselves. In 2007, Learning is an Art donated more than $100,000 in cash, products and in-kind donations to Physicians for Peace and Toys for Tots.

In addition to announcing the recipients of the 2008 industry awards, the newest member of the DSA Hall of Fame was also inducted. The Direct Selling Hall of Fame honors individuals who have devoted significant years of service and have made considerable contributions to the Direct Selling Association, the Direct Selling Education Foundation and the direct selling industry.

The 2008 inductee, Brian C. Connolly, who recently retired from Avon Products, Inc., joined the company in 1978 as a Financial Analyst and moved into the sales organization in 1989. He was named Group Vice President, Sales and Operations, in 1997. In 1999, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales and Operations, and the following year, he was named President, Avon U.S. In 2002, Brian assumed expanded responsibility for North America, and in 2003, he was promoted to Executive Vice President. Brian is a former chairman of the DSA Board of Directors. Born in Howard Beach, New York, Brian earned his BA in Accounting from Penn State University. 

About the Direct Selling Association

DSA is the national trade association of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers. Among its more than 220 active and pending members are companies selling both via a party-plan method and in the traditional person-to-person style. In 2007, U.S. direct sales were more than $30.8 billion with more than 15 million direct sellers nationwide. The vast majority are independent business people – micro-entrepreneurs – whose purpose is to sell the product/service of the company they voluntarily choose to represent. Approximately 90 percent of direct sellers operate their business part-time.

For more information on direct selling, DSA and its Code of Ethics, please visit the DSA website at www.dsa.org.