Taking Brand Management to the Next Level with L’Oréal
At the Swiss Brand Congress, Alma Lipa, CDMO of L’Oréal DACH, spoke about AI, creators, and cultural resonance. In an impromptu “staircase talk” with Anna Kohler, it became clear why, despite all the technology, the future of successful brands remains surprisingly human.
Between the presentation and the cocktail reception, one of those conversations arose that simply can’t be planned. On the red staircase of the Dolder Grand, Alma Lipa, CDMO of L’Oréal DACH, ran into the m&k team. The spontaneous exchange—which was captured on film—led to a conversation about brands, people, and the question of how companies can remain relevant in an increasingly fragmented world.
The answers ranged from artificial intelligence to creator marketing, organizational development, and cultural resonance. Above all, however, they offered a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a company that has been one of the world’s most influential brands for decades.
The Stairs
There are places that are more than just architecture.
The Dolder Grand’s sweeping main staircase is one of them. For decades, heads of state, musicians, actresses, sports stars, and business leaders have walked these steps.
After their appearance at the Swiss Brand Congress, as the m&k team and Alma Lipa wandered through the Dolder Grand in search of a suitable location for a spontaneous video interview, they finally settled on the hotel’s red staircase. What initially appears to be a stylish backdrop turns out, as the conversation unfolds, to be a surprisingly fitting stage for a topic that’s currently on the minds of many companies: How do you navigate a world that’s changing faster than ever before?
The question could hardly be more fitting. After all, Lipa represents a corporation that, more than almost any other, embodies both continuity and change. Founded in 1909, the company has grown into the world’s largest cosmetics group. With over 40 brands, billions in revenue, and a presence in more than 150 countries, L’Oréal is a global heavyweight. But size alone does not guarantee relevance. That is precisely what Lipa’s presentation and the subsequent discussion will focus on.
In a Sea of Equality
Alma Lipa had performed a number on stage earlier.
1.7 seconds.
That’s how long the average attention span is on a smartphone. At the same time, the beauty industry’s investment in digital communication is rising, while engagement rates are falling. More content, more platforms, more creators, more technology—and yet less attention.
Lipa describes this state as a world of hyper-fragmentation. In the past, a few channels and a handful of clearly defined target audiences were enough. Today, brands are fighting for visibility in a «sea of sameness.» Added to this are new platforms, new devices, new behavioral patterns, and—in the DACH region alone—tens of thousands of creators with significant reach. The challenge is no longer simply about being present. Everyone is present by now. The real question is: Who will be remembered?
Mathematics and Magic
When asked how L’Oréal is responding to this trend, Lipa offers a remarkably simple answer.
Math. Magic. Organization.
Mathematics represents data, models, measurability, and analytical decision-making. Magic represents emotions, cultural resonance, and a brand’s ability to move people. Organization, in turn, describes the people behind the brand, their skills, and the question of how companies are positioning their teams for a new era.
This formula is so interesting because it describes a trend that can currently be observed in many companies. The more powerful technology becomes, the more important the human element of brand management becomes. Data can explain what works. However, brands determine why people are interested in something in the first place.
The brand is making a comeback
What’s interesting about L’Oréal’s conceptual framework isn’t just the role of data or technology. What’s truly fascinating is the significance the brand continues to hold within it.
While many companies have focused primarily on performance, conversion, and short-term results in recent years, Alma Lipa describes a counter-trend. Today, more than ever, brands need to provide direction. Especially in a world with more and more channels, more and more content, and more and more competition, the brand becomes an anchor—not as a logo or a campaign, but as a cultural frame of reference.
If you want to be noticed, you must not only be visible but also have meaning. That is precisely why, alongside all its efficiency initiatives, L’Oréal continues to invest consistently in brand equity, brand image, and long-term brand values. Perhaps the most important takeaway from her presentation is this: Brand management will not be replaced by technology. Technology makes it even more important.
The Limits of the Machine
Yet L’Oréal is one of the companies that is actively embracing artificial intelligence.
For content production. For virtual try-ons. For diagnostic tools. For internal knowledge platforms. For optimizing websites in the age of large language models. And even for analyzing cultural trends and future engagement opportunities.
Nevertheless, the company draws a clear line.
«AI doesn't touch skin, hair, or the body,» Lipa says in the interview.
At first glance, the statement seems technical. In fact, it reflects a cultural attitude. Anyone who has been working with the promise of beauty for decades bears responsibility for the images of beauty that are created. That is precisely why it is surprising how clearly Lipa speaks of «human oversight.» AI should support, accelerate, and inspire, she says. But the final decision must remain with humans.
The Organization Behind the Beauty
Another insight from the conversation seems unspectacular at first glance, but it could be one of the most important ones of all.
L’Oréal has fundamentally restructured its marketing organization. Instead of generalists who must be proficient in everything at once, the company is relying on specialized teams of experts in media, data, social advocacy, and technology. This gives the traditional brand teams more room to focus on what originally set them apart: brand management.
For Alma Lipa, this is precisely a key factor for success. She believes the future will not be determined solely by new technologies, but by companies’ ability to develop their employees and provide them with the right structures. Accordingly, L’Oréal is investing heavily in continuing education, AI skills, and new forms of collaboration. Perhaps the most surprising message, therefore, is not that AI is changing everything, but that people must learn to cope with this change.
From Cannes to Cousine
The conversation gets particularly interesting when the topic turns to Creator.
This is because Lipa challenges a common misconception here. Creators aren’t simply new advertising channels. Rather, they are the modern version of what grandmothers, cousins, or friends used to be: people you trust. People whose recommendations carry weight.
This perspective also explains why L’Oréal plans to launch the «L’Oréalista» platform in Switzerland in September. The system works similarly to a rewards program: Creators earn points through various activities and can redeem them for products or exclusive experiences—such as trips to Cannes, the Berlinale, or other events that are normally off-limits to the public.
What’s interesting here isn’t so much the program itself as the idea behind it. While many companies buy reach, L’Oréal is trying to build relationships—not with the biggest names, but specifically with nano- and micro-creators. It’s about building trust before scaling reach.
Because people trust people
During the interview, Alma Lipa is also asked about “creator brands”—that is, influencers who have long since launched their own cosmetics brands and, in some cases, are achieving tremendous growth rates.
Her response is remarkably calm.
Of course, we’re keeping an eye on this trend. Of course, we take the new competitors seriously. At the same time, the market is large enough to accommodate different models. What’s more, every new brand brings additional momentum to the category. Competition here is not seen as a threat, but as proof that people are looking for guidance and are willing to follow recommendations.
There’s a lesson here that extends far beyond the beauty industry. The most successful brands of the future will likely not be the ones that make the most noise. Rather, they will be the ones that people choose to listen to.
The next stage
The conversation does not conclude with a forecast about the future of artificial intelligence. No prediction about the next platform. No speculation about the next device after the smartphone.
Instead, the image of a staircase remains.
A staircase that has been connecting people from completely different worlds for decades. A staircase that, on this day, served as the backdrop for a discussion about the future of brands.
And this is the real message behind Alma Lipa’s appearance in Zurich: The next level of brand management doesn’t come about solely through new technologies. It emerges where data meets creativity, where efficiency meets culture, and where brands—despite all the digitalization—don’t forget that there’s still a person on the other end.
Or, to sum it up with a thought that hung over the entire conversation: Technology may change, but the value of human connection remains. ❤️
