Author | He Zhexin
Edit | Qiao Qian
On August 15, 1967, the American edition of Vogue published an article discussing the topic: Is perfect skin born or acquired?
The article was humorous and bold enough to say "does sex affect the quality of the skin" (by the way, the answer is no), so it sparked a wave of public opinion and indirectly contributed to the official birth of Clinique. One of the authors of the article, Carol Phillips, then editor of Vogue America, was regarded as one of the founders of Clinique brand, and Norman Orentreich, a dermatologist who was also the medical advisor to the article, proposed a revolutionary "trilogy" skincare concept for Clinique at the time.
The character of Evelyn Lauder, who came up with the name Clinique, is less talked about, and more concerned with the "behind-the-scenes" driving behind the birth of the Clinique brand — her husband Leonard Lauder, Mrs. Lauder's eldest son, and how she and her mother fought with her mother to start more new business.
According to an interview with Leonard Lauder by the Wall Street Journal, Leonard has adopted a series of policies to promote Estee Lauder products, including the launch of travel-sized compacts and other products suitable for different scenarios, in order to expand the brand's consumer base from the original upper-class ladies to younger consumers.
It was the United States in the 1960s, with a booming economy, consumerism, and technological advancements that "seemed to solve everything." Young people who have no worries about food and clothing are beginning to reflect on the meaning of life beyond material pleasures. Hippie culture, anti-system cultural movements, and the widespread popularity of black music made this period a controversial, but at the same time fascinating, chapter in history.
The launch of Clinique had a great impact on the Estée Lauder Companies at the time as much as the impact of the hippie culture movement on mainstream society: a lady's favorite brand born in the "family kitchen", marked by luxury packaging and high prices, first set foot in the field of science - "perfect skin can be achieved", a phrase that may sound like a victory for some people, still seems relevant today.
Clinique was born out of Leonard Lauder's vision: an affordable "hypoallergenic" skincare product for younger women. Today, Clinique has retail channels such as counters in more than 150 countries and regions around the world.
"We were one of the first companies to enter the Asian market," Leonard Lauder said of The Estée Lauder Companies' success story in 2020, "If you're the first to enter the market, you're a winner." Analysts have predicted that by 2025, the Estée Lauder Companies will have more than 20% of the global beauty market.
Of course, history never depends on people, and after a series of declines, the Estée Lauder Companies announced a series of profit recovery plans at the end of last year to meet the challenges.
Part of the burden of finding a turnaround for the Estée Lauder Companies has also fallen on the shoulders of the heads of the brands, with Michelle Freyre, who is also from the outside world as President and CEO Fabrizio Freda, who has been in the role of Estée Lauder for three years and is currently the global brand president of Clinique and Origin.
Commenting on the timing of joining the beauty giant, Michelle Freyre recalls, "It was the early days of the pandemic, when people were locked up at home and didn't need to wear makeup, so there was more focus on skin health. ”
This habit has also been preserved the most after the pandemic, especially in the Chinese market. "Chinese consumers are the most demanding consumers I've ever met, and their consumption decision-making paths are particularly complex, and they are more interested in ingredient inquiries and ingredient comparisons [than American consumers], while young Americans are more concerned about the lipstick number that is popular on Tiktok. Michelle Freyre said. She has a pair of young twins who belong to what she calls "rapidly changing tastes" of Generation Y.
After entering the 30th year of China, Clinique has finally waited for the east wind of "effective skin care". As the marketing of beauty products shifts from a play on words to a scientific argument, the question of how to build consumer trust is also in front of every brand.
Beginning in 2021, the government mandated the evaluation of the claimed efficacy of cosmetics sold in China, and claims that cosmetics could treat certain diseases were strictly banned. On the one hand, this has brought unprecedented survival pressure to countless new consumer brands that lack core technology and rely on hot spots and "storytelling", and on the other hand, it has driven enterprises with certain technical strength to increase research and development and strengthen product compliance.
"Clinique was born with a thirsty young mind – that hasn't changed," Michelle Freyre told us, "and while today's beauty market is extremely fragmented, brands will choose you if they learn to keep up with the decision-making paths and communication styles of younger consumers." At the end of March, Clinique launched its first Amazon Premium Beauty Store, after its global sales were dominated by department stores.
Here's a curated interview with Michelle Freyre.
36Kr: Clinique is one of the brands with the strongest technology genes in the Estee Lauder Group. How do you plan to strengthen this positioning through products, sales channels, promotions, etc.?
Michelle Freyre: First of all, I want to start with our in-depth study of the skin. Clinique was created by Dr. Norman Orentreich, a dermatologist in New York. We focus on providing products that are not only effective, but also strictly safe. Focusing on the balance between efficacy and safety is what makes Clinique unique.
Secondly, our products do not contain any known allergens or irritating ingredients, so the skin is safe and secure. All of our skincare and cosmetics are fragrance-free, as many fragrances can trigger allergic reactions.
We have re-evaluated our formulations for over 50 years, amassing a rich database of allergy science and formulation knowledge. This knowledge guides Clinique in formulating formulations that minimize possible skin irritation. All of our products are rigorously allergy tested and if there is any one of them, we reformulate them.
These accumulations are supported by our four R&D centers, including the Estée Lauder China Innovation R&D Center in Shanghai. These studies allow us to stay connected globally while staying close to local consumers. We will focus on efficacy claims that are more applicable to the Chinese market, such as the postoperative efficacy claims of "Peptide A Purple Light Serum".
The Chinese market is especially important for us, as sensitive skin is one of the most treated issues by dermatologists in China and one of the most discussed topics on social media. So we attended the 18th Annual Meeting of Dermatologists of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association in 2023 to maintain close ties with the scientific community. It's a good direction to go and we want to roll it out globally.
36Kr: Chinese consumers have changed a lot over the past few decades. Can you share your thoughts on how Chinese consumers are changing, and what makes the Chinese market unique compared to other markets?
Michelle Freyre: China's beauty and personal care market is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world, after the United States. Chinese consumers are very knowledgeable about the skincare market and are among the most insightful. There are two obvious characteristics of Chinese consumers, which I would like to mention:
One is the anti-aging positivity. The number of related professional skin care and laser aesthetic surgery is increasing, and post-operative skin care is also a large market.
In terms of anti-aging, Chinese consumers pay more attention to local anti-aging. We have a range of products specifically designed to reduce the visible signs of skin aging, such as our Smart range. We will launch the latest addition to our range in China, "Purple Light Elastic Neck Cream".
The second is that Chinese consumers' demands for safety and non-irritation extend to makeup products. Clinique Cosmetics has always taken skin health, especially the eye area, seriously. Our makeup philosophy is the same as our skincare philosophy, with a focus on efficacy and strict safety. As part of this philosophy, all of our eye cosmetics (mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, etc.) are ophthalmologically tested and suitable for people with sensitive eyes and contact lenses.
36Kr: You have a lot of experience in managing heritage brands, what is the key to maintaining the innovation and agility of these brands in a rapidly changing market?
Michelle Freyre: I think there are three things that are needed to lead a traditional brand, and accordingly, if you don't do any one of the three things well, you will fail.
The first is to actively communicate with multi-generational consumers. All traditional brands with a long history have been tested by multiple generations of consumers. It's important to acknowledge that the generation gap between the current generations is deeper than ever, which makes managing heritage brands a challenge. I want to emphasize that making a brand future-proof doesn't mean "changing" the brand, it just means trying to keep its core/DNA the same, while finding the right way to communicate it, to identify how to stay relevant to the new generation, and to find the right way to capture consumer attention on both internal and external levels.
The second is to adhere to long-termism. Trends come and go, and not all of them make sense for your brand. When a new trend emerges, it can sometimes be exciting, because it is possible to succeed just by following the trend. But as a leader, I'm a firm believer that it's more important to maintain the DNA of the brand (mission, story, and differentiation) than to follow the trend bluntly. Because over time, consumers will eventually recognize the honesty of the brand. The so-called "long-termism" and long-term victory are the right way. Of course, the brand needs to continue to progress and develop, but it must be in line with the brand gene.
The third is to identify roots and anchors. The Estée Lauder Companies has a great methodology for how its legacy brands evolve, and I'm constantly learning. In addition, the Estée Lauder family and group management inspired me to think about Clinique management in terms of roots and anchors – knowing what needs to be retained (rooted) and what needs to be changed (anchored). So, after learning more about Clinique, I asked myself, "What do I need to keep, what do I need to change?", and I think this applies to all time-honored brand management.
36Kr: Do you think the beauty industry will be more technology-driven or fashion-driven?
Michelle Freyre: There are certain categories that will always be science-driven, such as skincare. I'm also looking forward to the "skincare" of makeup, but in general, the makeup market is still largely influenced by trends, colors, fashions, and cultural relevance.
In addition, all categories of beauty, from skincare to make-up to perfume and haircare, will be affected by technology. We will see more technologies being used at the experiential level, such as skin diagnostics and related services that will be done by large or handheld devices, as well as in-store experiences, AI that makes visual experiences better, etc. This will truly change the way consumers experience products.
36Kr: What are the opportunities in the global and Chinese beauty market in the next 5 years?
Michelle Freyre: The development of the market for sensitive skin products is a global trend. Consumers will increasingly pay attention to the safety and efficacy of skincare products.
Due to the popularity of laser aesthetic surgery, we have also observed an increase in the number of cases of PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) among Chinese consumers, which is also an aspect that Clinique brands are good at, and we need to continue to cooperate with the local R&D team to continue to innovate locally.