World beauty tech leader L’Oréal’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, both internationally and here in the U.S., was a model of how an organization can spearhead a multi-faceted response making the best use of processes, technology, and partnerships already in place to support communities that were highly affected by the pandemic.
Immediately, L’Oréal USA modified its production facilities to focus on much-needed alcohol-based hand sanitizer, provided free of charge to U.S. employees, partners, and frontline healthcare professionals. Donations of surgical and N95 respirator masks were sent to communities surrounding L’Oréal operations facilities in places including North Little Rock, Arkansas, and Franklin, New Jersey.
A $250,000 donation was made to the Feeding America hunger-relief organization, with L’Oréal also matching employee donations up to $25,000. L’Oréal also announced plans to donate more than $1 million worth of personal care products to the non-profit Feed the Children.
Supporting the Small Businesses
L’Oréal initiatives were designed to aid the communities the company directly works with, including a partnership with the Professional Beauty Association to support hair salons. The partnership included a program of frozen payments for salon and stylist partner customers with outstanding credit balances until those businesses are able to resume; an extension of L’Oréal Level Loyalty rewards points that had initially been set to expire in March or April; and a donation of $200,000 to the PBA Covid-19 Relief Fund, which supports licensed professionals who are unable to work due to COVID-19.
L’Oréal USA also announced an #SupportYourStylist program on National Stylist Appreciation Day, which many major brands falling under the L’Oréal umbrella. Meant as a call-to-action with the aim of inspiring both customers and clients to get involved with the campaign via their social media posts, the program also encouraged donations.
“This is a challenging and uncertain time for the professional beauty industry, and we are committed, now more than ever, to our role as its partner and advocate. We will continue to work tirelessly to lessen the impact of this crisis and to aid in our industry’s recovery from it,” said David Greenberg, President of L’Oréal USA’s Professional Products Division.
Utilizing Technology to Connect with Consumers at Home
L’Oréal became the first beauty company to work with Snap Camera. The company partnered with Snap Inc. for an augmented reality campaign involving the desktop application, which gives users the chance to try on Snapchat Lenses in conference calls, Twitch live-streams, Skype, YouTube, and other video platforms. L’Oréal also announced the debut of eight branded Lenses for Garnier, Lancôme, L’Oréal Paris and Maybelline, making it the first beauty company to work with Snap Camera.
Many of the company’s 34 international brands made similar tech-driven pivots in response to the virus outbreak, including the first-ever hair commercial ever to be shot at home on an iPhone by L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador, Eva Longoria.
“When my L’Oréal family approached me to do this campaign, I was excited to direct this first of its kind commercial. It’s a challenging time for everyone right now as we try and juggle all of our responsibilities and the needs of our loved ones, but it’s also important to remember to take care of ourselves,” said Longoria. “In this commercial, viewers can see how easy it is to get expert results and the confidence boost they deserve while at home.”
Looking Towards the Future
As restrictions due to COVID-19 are being lifted, L’Oreal is looking to hire people who can continue to drive their beauty tech business forward. Interested? Check their open opportunities @ https://careers.loreal.com.
