• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, October 24, 2024

For some companies, diversity and inclusivity are talking points. Not L'Oréal Groupe. Facing the reality that by 2030, 40% of the world population will have curly, coily or wavy hair, and by 2040, two-thirds of the world will have melanin-rich skin, the path forward means finding more ways to offer personalized beauty expertise that suits everyone.

“To us, inclusivity in beauty is a business imperative,” Asmita Dubey, chief digital and marketing officer, told attendees of the ANA Masters of Marketing conference. And that means paying closer attention than ever to digital and tech, further fueling beauty demand. “These platforms drive awareness and democratize beauty expertise. Over the last three years, Google searches on beauty have grown by 58%, and TikTok beauty views have grown by 180% in the last two years.”

Technology plays a pivotal role in driving beauty trends. L'Oréal is leveraging this digital surge to reinvent consumer journeys, incorporating new touchpoints, content, services, and channels to enhance brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction. That includes a Beauty Content Lab using generative AI. However, the company maintains a human-centric approach to AI. “Beauty is deeply personal and social,” Dubey said. So, while AI is useful in product imagery and content, L'Oréal does not use AI-generated images of lifelike faces, bodies, or skin for external communication.

L'Oréal’s Beauty Genius app is one of its most valuable personalization tools, according to Dubey. It uses AI and AR to provide personalized beauty advice. The platform is inclusive and sensitive to various beauty concerns, helping it advance its “beauty for all” mission to “beauty for each,” whether it’s offering hair styling products or finding the best red shade of lipstick.

Dubey's presentation, presented both in person and virtually, also underscored the beauty giant’s commitment to the rise of the creator economy. L'Oréal partners with over 60,000 influencers, for a 27% share of the beauty influencer market.

From dermatologists to hair experts, that tsunami of storytelling is driving brand relevance and emotional proximity. “Creativity always wins,” Dubey said.

She also gave examples of ways brands combine tech and influencers to create and change culture. Maybelline, for example, is the largest makeup brand in the world and is committed to mental health initiatives.

“The brand has a global platform to be brave together to support mental health, to destigmatize anxiety and depression because no one should struggle alone,” she says. When a survey of Australian gamers revealed that 83% of gamers identifying as female have experienced offensive behaviors online and that most switch off their microphones to conceal their true identity, “Maybelline created a campaign through their eyes,” Dubey said. “It gave male gamers a firsthand experience of the online abuse experienced by female gamers and raised their awareness. Maybelline is promoting positive change within the gaming culture.”

Separately, L’Oréal and Pinterest announced new ways the company is building beauty engagement online, with Maybelline’s ad spending on Pinterest up 90% year over year, with Gen Z comprising 48% of its engaged audience. Other L’Oréal brands, including Garnier, Essie, and NYX, are also leaning into Pinterest’s Collages Remix content, driving outsized engagement rates.

Pinterest calls the company’s influencers the “Babellines” and says they are currently in Halloween overdrive, led by searches for soft vampire makeup, gold medal athletes and pop star icon tutorials.