In the fast-changing world of beauty, understanding consumer expectations and anticipating trends has become a major strategic challenge. Through its work with Sociovision (Ifop Group), Lancôme has access to invaluable tools to fuel its decision-making.
In this interview, Norin Chai, Lancôme Global Head of CMI, shares his mission, his vision of the business and how data and insights from Sociovision studies help shape the brand’s strategy.
Question 1: Norin, as Lancôme Global Head of CMI, what is the scope of your mission today, and what is your vision of your role?
As far as my scope is concerned, my aim is to translate the complex voice of the consumer into concrete opportunities for the company. Through qualitative studies, expert interviews, co-creation with KOLs, etc., I ensure that we are constantly able to develop the best innovations to anticipate tomorrow’s needs, while reinforcing the relevance and leadership of our existing product ranges, which are our pillars. On the other hand, I am proactively committed to identifying and nurturing strategic growth levers for the brand. This takes the form of exploring and validating avenues concerning: new conquest targets, new product categories to invest in, optimal media priorities to maximize our impact, the relevance of a unique shopping experience that sets us apart in the marketplace.
As for my vision of my role / my job, it falls into 5 categories:
- Managing and analyzing Data Volumetry (Big Data): the digital age has led to an explosion of data sources (social, CRM, etc.). One of the major challenges is how to collect, store, process and analyze these colossal volumes of data in an efficient and relevant way. It’s not just a question of accumulating data, but of being able to exploit it.
- Unearthing Deep Qualitative Insights: in this context, and in a global position, our core business lies not in describing the facts, but in understanding the underlying motivations. This means going beyond data to uncover consumers’ emotions, aspirations, frustrations and unexpressed needs. As a result, it’s very important to combine qualitative research methods (expert and consumer interviews, co-creation with KOLs, etc.) with quantitative ones to get a holistic view.
- Ensuring the relevance and longevity of Insights: consumer behavior and market trends evolve at lightning speed, often influenced by external factors (technological innovations, societal events, health crises, etc.). Insights therefore have a limited “shelf life”. We need to be constantly on the lookout, collecting data in near-real time, and adapting our analyses to ensure that our recommendations remain current and strategically relevant.
- Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI offers unprecedented capabilities to interpret huge datasets, identify complex correlations and even anticipate future trends. However, it also presents a challenge: mastering these tools, ensuring the quality of input data and, above all, combining automated analysis with human expertise to refine insights and avoid bias. AI is a powerful assistant, but the strategic vision remains human.
- Effectively integrate and disseminate insights throughout the organization (marketing, communications, retail, digital, beauty tech, R&I, etc.): producing brilliant insights is not enough. The challenge is to ensure that they are understood and activated. This means translating complex analyses into concrete, actionable recommendations for the various teams. Insight must become a strategic decision-making lever for the whole company.
Question 2: Thanks to the international database accumulated through the work carried out by Sociovision Groupe Ifop for the L’Oréal Group, you have been able to identify and profile Lancôme customers in Europe, the United States and China, and compare your performance with that of your main competitors. How has this analysis enabled you to act with precision, and even detect ever more targeted activation opportunities?
First and foremost, this analysis enabled me to gain a more precise understanding of the profile of my female users, in comparison with the prestige beauty market as a whole and, above all, with our key competitors. In addition to the socio-demographic profile, we’ve enriched our knowledge of their lifestyles, their interests, the social media platforms on which they seek beauty inspiration, and their purchasing drivers. All this helps us not only to know where to find them, but also to guide strategic investments: are they more sensitive to samples, to traditional media, to social networks…?
More generally, linking my consumers to Sociovision’s strategic clusters helps me to understand where the brand is already present and where the gaps are, the spaces occupied by the competition that the brand should pre-empt, not only because they are strategic but also because our skills and sense of purpose as a brand allow us to do so.
Question 3: These data are connected, via Cognito – the proprietary tool developed by Sociovision Groupe Ifop for L’Oréal, to an international segmentation of female beauty consumers. Can you share one or two concrete examples where insights gained from segmentation have helped you to reinforce a decision or enrich a recent marketing activation?
In concrete terms, using this information has enabled me to rebalance investments on my core target, while playing tactically with other generations. We also decided to put certain key touchpoints such as merchandising and sampling – key drivers of consumer engagement – back at the heart of the debate.
