Interview: How L’Oréal Spots Trends Before They Go Mainstream

L’Oréal works with over 40 brands at the same time. How exactly do you decide which brand will embrace which trend and when, and which ones will deliberately not?
Alma Lipa: At L’Oréal, we use social listening tools and artificial intelligence to identify global trends early on and align them with our brand portfolio. Through this AI-powered process, we identify the „perfect fit“ to match trends with the appropriate brand. We also invest in analyzing „social media tribes,“ which gives us deep insights into the discussions within specific subcultures. This allows us to make informed decisions about which brand can authentically embrace a trend and where we consciously choose to differentiate ourselves.

These days, social media trends often emerge overnight. How can you tell early on whether a trend is just hype or has real potential for your brands?                                                                    

Thanks to our global knowledge pool, we can monitor and evaluate trends worldwide. We also rely on advanced social listening tools that use AI to identify relevant developments early on. This allows us to accurately distinguish between short-term hype and long-term potential for our diverse brands. Based on this data, we decide which trends to actively pursue.

E-commerce, data, and content often operate in parallel. What specific changes have you made to ensure that these areas truly work together and have an impact?

We’ve transformed from a beauty company into a beauty tech company and use services like online diagnostic tools to link data directly to the customer experience. Thanks to AI, we create personalized marketing content that we deliver tailored to specific target audiences rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. We’ve replaced traditional silos with integrated teams of experts where e-commerce, data, and content are seamlessly intertwined. We also use our partners’ audience tools to gain shopper insights and incorporate them directly into content optimization.

Many people talk about „relevance,“ but it’s often unclear what that actually means. What single metric or observation specifically shows you that your brand is truly relevant right now and resonating with people?

For us, relevance is reflected, for example, in social media metrics such as engagement, shares, and saves—metrics that go beyond the mere number of views. These figures show that our content is not only being seen but is also considered valuable enough that people actively interact with it or save it. When users share our content within their own networks, it’s a clear sign that the brand resonates with people and holds real meaning for them. For us, these kinds of deep interactions are the key indicator of strong brand resonance.

The conference theme is „Brand Management as a Team Effort—AI as a Team Member.“ Where exactly is L’Oréal using AI today to become faster or better—and where do you consciously draw the line?

For us, AI is a key enabler—not only in terms of efficiency, automation, and process optimization, but also in improving our interaction with consumers. Through virtual try-ons and digital skin analyses, we create a high degree of personalization and deliver real added value to our consumers. We also use GenAI to significantly accelerate our creative processes. We set clear boundaries when it comes to authenticity and ethics. Our „Responsible AI“ guidelines ensure that AI never replaces real people. Furthermore, we consistently follow a „human-in-the-loop“ approach to ensure that human judgment always serves as the final safeguard.

About the Swiss Brand Congress
Alma Lipa, CDMO of L’Oréal DACH, will speak on the Tech & Digital Stage at the Swiss Brand Congress in Zurich on June 10, 2026. Under the theme «Brand Management as a Team Sport—AI as a Team Member,» more than 100 experts will discuss how brand management is being reimagined in the context of cultural relevance, data, and artificial intelligence.

About L’Oréal
With over 40 brands, L’Oréal is one of the world’s leading beauty companies and is consistently driving its transformation into a «Beauty Tech Company.» The company combines innovation, data, technology, and brand management to create personalized customer experiences and culturally relevant brand communication.