Background:

L’Oréal Paris stands for female empowerment. The company’s gender diversity is frequently recognized and rewarded with international awards. Right now L'Oréal Paris has even more women than men in their managing board and executive positions.

Brief:

L’Oréal Paris wanted to make a tensionable impact on gender equality, being aware of the responsibility a brand has that stands for female empowerment. Perceived as the most important issues facing women and girls in Germany are equal pay and equal career opportunities. With men being still perceived as superior leaders and dominating the management and executive boards with 91.4%.

L’Oréal Paris started a research project to find evidence of women being equal to men when it comes to leadership skills. What they uncovered: women are even better. With this clear facts and figures simplified infographics addressed Germany's decision makers in manager magazines and economic online news. Talking to them about the only data relevant to companies, dry numbers that drive the success of businesses and making hiring women for leadership positions more attractive to them.

A big internal survey about global brands in over 100 countries around the world and 20,000 people taking part showed: consumers trust local brands … but they connect with global brands that have a positive impact on society.

92% of women aware of at least one pro-feminine ad campaign, but many don’t see L´Oréal Paris as a female empowerment brand. Believing L´Oréal Paris portrays unrealistic stereotypes of women and reduces them solely to their beauty. But this perception is not what L´Oréal Paris stands for. The company lives female empowerment and has in fact more women in leadership roles than men. A big gap that could only be closed by changing the targeting from women to authentic action for gender equality.

The empowerment campaign for female leaders run on International Women’s Day in business magazines and economic online news. Talking to men, the current decision makers of listed companies, it showed the benefits of a more diverse leadership: more profitability, more innovations and higher employee satisfaction.

The campaign achieved with a small budget over 5 million gross reach, got picked up around the globe by business forums and news and multiplied the paid digital reach of 150,000 by 1003% through social reactions. Our digital ads achieved a 20% higher viewability than average in Germany. Many equality networks and communities shared and supported the message on their channels, causing a spill-over effect of their positive image to L’Oréal. But more importantly, the campaign reached 1.8 million business leaders directly and fuelled discussions on career networks with massive reactions from global HR directors, business consultants, board members and employees. Bringing companies one step closer to hire more women in leadership roles.