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Estée Lauder: Using Innovation and Classic Beauty
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Estée Lauder: Using Innovation and Classic Beauty
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., a brand known for its association with elegance, creativity, and innovation since 1946, is instantly recognizable in the world of prestige beauty. Serving customers in 150 countries and territories, what began as a family-run business has evolved into a global leader in skincare, cosmetics, fragrance, and haircare. Icons including M·A·C, La Mer, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone
London, Aveda, Too Faced, and The Ordinary are part of Estée Lauder’s varied portfolio, which employs more than 62,000 people globally. In fiscal year 2024, the company reported strong global operations supported by a growing digital ecosystem and over 1,600 freestanding stores. Anchored by its founder’s principle of “Bringing the best to everyone we touch,” Estée Lauder continues to balance heritage with bold innovation, offering consumers more than beauty — an experience.
Innovative Marketing & Branding Strategy
Estée Lauder’s “High-Touch meets High-Tech” strategy combines digital efficiency and personal connection. The company’s diverse product range and deep research of customer needs serve as the foundation for its marketing & branding vision. Under the Estée Lauder layout, every brand has its unique identity while improving the company’s overall image.
Innovation, customization, and communication are the driving forces behind Estée Lauder’s marketing, led by Chief Digital & Marketing Officer Aude Gandon. Hero products, such as M·A·C’s Studio Fix Foundation and Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair, are featured in campaigns to attract both new and loyal customers. The company turns moments of purchase into moments of connection through influencer partnerships, interactive multichannel experiences, and digital-first campaigns.
Estée Lauder recognizes that modern beauty is about tailoring, allowing each consumer to experience luxury tailored to their unique story, through everything from retail stores to Instagram Reels.
Transformation Driven by Technology
Brian Franz, Chief Technology, Data & Analytics Officer, is leading Estée Lauder’s transformation in an era where leadership is defined by digital fluency. To maintain all facets of its worldwide operations, including manufacturing, sales, marketing, and research & development, the business continually updates its cloud-based digital infrastructure.
Estée Lauder utilizes AI and progressive data analysis to leverage customer insights, enabling informed product development and advertising strategies. The company’s focus on the latest technologies improves its responsiveness, enables real-time engagement, and ensures a smooth user experience.
By blending data science into beauty, Estée Lauder isn’t just digitizing — it’s humanizing technology.
Sustainability and Entrepreneurship: Science meets Soul
Every Estée Lauder product is the result of strict research, sustainability, and creativity. Under the direction of Executive Vice President and Chief Research & Innovation Officer René Lammers, Ph.D., the company is at the forefront of the sector in fusing aesthetic style with scientific accuracy..
Guided by Stéphane de La Faverie, President and CEO, Estée Lauder’s leadership reflects a balance of creativity, integrity, and global ambition.
Rooted in Mrs. Estée Lauder’s belief that “Every woman can be beautiful,” the company’s brand values today extend to authenticity, empowerment, and responsibility.
Each campaign, product, and partnership reinforces this emotional connection —redefining what beauty means in the modern world.
A Timeless Future
Estée Lauder’s story is one of a kind — where legacy meets innovation, and science meets soul. With its expanding digital capabilities, visionary leadership, and commitment to sustainability, the company is poised to lead the next chapter of luxury beauty.
In FY2025 and beyond, the company continues to set the international standard for prestige — not just through its products, but through the values, experiences, and purpose that inspire every touchpoint of the beauty industry.
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Keith Nicks is EVP and Chief Digital & Commercial Officer for Ahold Delhaize USA, overseeing
omnichannel marketing, retail media, and e-commerce for U.S. brands. Tim Bork is the Chief Commercial
Officer for Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia, focusing on local brands and responsible for growth,
including marketing and customer experience.
With nearly €96 billion in projected 2025 revenue, Ahold Delhaize ranks among the top 10 global
retailers, operating over 6,700 stores across multiple formats, including Albert Heijn, Delhaize, Food Lion,
Giant, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop.
6,700 stores powered by one procurement platform – a scale that makes others jealous.
For customers, Ahold isn’t just a grocery retailer; it’s a trusted lifestyle partner that combines the
intimacy of local shopping with the innovation and value of global retail leadership.
Ahold’s brands, such as Albert Heijn, Stop & Shop, and Giant, represent 37 years of average customer
relationships—customers don’t just shop there; they grow up with these brands, creating emotional
connections that transcend transactions.
After gaining thirty million loyalty members, Ahold demonstrated that personalization consistently
outperforms promotion.
BrandSensitize™ research shows that Ahold Delhaize operates with a decentralized marketing and brand
building approach, where marketing functions are embedded within:
- Brand-specific leadership (each local brand has its own marketing teams.
- Regional commercial officers who oversee marketing alongside broader commercial
responsibilities. - Digital and omnichannel specialists who handle modern marketing channels.
Ahold Delhaize’s Brand Building Initiatives:
Sustainability campaign: €50M investment reached 10M consumers, delivering a 20% boost in
sustainable product sales and generating €400M in revenue.
Digital Marketing: €150M digital budget achieved 25% higher engagement, 2.6% click-through rates (vs
1.9% industry standard), and built 500K+ social media following.
Loyalty Program: 30M members across brands with 85% customer penetration, driving 75% of total sales
and contributing €1B annually—10% better retention than competitors.
Strategic Brand Partnerships: 100+ collaborative campaigns with CPG brands, including Coca-Cola,
generated €600M in additional revenue through joint promotions.
Omnichannel Investment: A $1 billion price investment initiative, combined with AI-powered
personalization, aims to achieve an 80% loyalty sales penetration by 2028.
Strategic marketing drives measurable business results—from sustainability messaging to digital-first
loyalty programs, Ahold Delhaize demonstrates that well-executed brand-building campaigns deliver
both customer engagement and bottom-line growth on a global scale.
Ahold Delhaize’s Strategic Technology Partnerships:
- W23 Global VC Fund: $125M investment with Tesco, Woolworths & others backing AI startups
like Harmonya & Protex AI - Zycus Partnership: Source-to-Pay suite powering procurement across 6,700+ stores globally
- Hanshow Technology: Electronic shelf labels + innovation labs across all European locations.
- Inmar Intelligence: $141M in customer savings delivered through personalized digital coupons.
- DoorDash Collaboration: Tripled order volumes through enhanced last-mile delivery integration.
- Internal AI Innovation: MaxiGPT, LionGPT & Albot assistants deployed across the Serbian,
Belgian, and Czech markets. - New Tech Studio: AD/01 in Bucharest targeting 250+ tech talents for digital acceleration.
Zycus has licensed its comprehensive Source-to-Pay suite to Ahold Delhaize, including eSourcing,
Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM), and Supplier Management platforms.
TCS’s relationship with Ahold Delhaize marks a mature, strategic partnership focused on digital
transformation and supply chain technology.
Wipro partnered with Capgemini as one of the most significant retail transformation initiatives in the
world at Ahold USA.
Capgemini powers Ahold Delhaize’s end-to-end transformation, developing blockchain technology use
cases for Ahold Delhaize’s supply chain and leveraging its expertise in business transformation, as well as
its understanding of Ahold’s industry and operations.
Traditional retailers, equipped with AI and Robotics, will surpass pure digital players by 2030.
The key is to position Ahold not as just another retail success story, but as the company that has
rewritten the rules of digital transformation for every traditional business watching.
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