“Democratising the best of beauty to meet the expectations of ‘augmented consumers’”

What are the key transformations that impact the Division today?

Above all, we are going through a major transformation that I call the evolution of the augmented consumer.
Augmented, because consumers today have a super computer in their pocket: their smartphone, which enables them to be connected 24/7 to the whole world. And this has a profound impact on their relationship with brands.

Starting with the multiplicity of touchpoints. A few years ago, a brand had less than 10 touchpoints with consumers. Today, it has three or four times more. And there is now a real dialogue between brands and consumers.
New distribution channels are another consequence of this consumer revolution. From ecommerce to free-standing stores, the mass market has become omni-channel.

How is the Division adapting to all these changes?

We actually have a two-fold strategy: on the one hand, strengthening our assets, and, on the other, stepping up the transformation of the Division.
Strengthening our assets, among which the first of them, the power of our global brands : L’Oréal Paris, whose accessible luxury positioning ideally meets consumers’ aspiration for premium high quality beauty; this is one of the reasons why the brand has accelerated all along 2017; Garnier, the world champion of natural products; Maybelline New York and NYX Professional Makeup, which have pioneered the make-up boom in this new era of social beauty.
And for each of these brands, priority to great blockbusters innovations, such as Color Riche Shine lipstick and Revitalift Cicacream for L’Oréal Paris, Hair Foods by Garnier, and the new Temptation mascara by Maybelline New York.

The second fold of our strategy is stepping up the transformation of the Division. On the one hand, by continually reinventing our business drivers, which means producing truly creative content, adapted to each consumer tribe and to the world’s major digital platforms, while remaining laser-focused on return on investment.
The Division’s second transformation is accelerating our omni-channel strategy with a special focus on e-commerce.

How would you sum up 2017?

2017 was a contrasted year, with major highlights: we launched blockbuster innovations, such as Lash Paradise mascara by L’Oréal Paris. We scored successes in many parts of the world, particularly in China, which grew strongly in the second-half. And lastly, makeup has continued its robust growth and facial skincare is accelerating.

How do you see the future of mass market beauty, and what do you think lies ahead for the Division?

I am actually very optimistic about the future of the beauty mass market, for three reasons: first, because we are witnessing a worldwide growth of the middle class, and especially of the upper middle class, which is the core target of the Division. Second reason, it’s the premiumisation: the desire for superior quality, which is increasing everywhere. And last but not least: the democratisation of the most value added beauty segments, where we are particularly strong,

So to conclude: we are operating in a favourable environment, and we have:
unique assets, and a robust acceleration and transformation agenda.
This is why we are ambitious and optimistic about the future of the Division.