Clinique global brand president Michelle Freyre: Brand relevancy is key to ‘break through and achieve success’

For the industry, it introduced the notion that viral TikTok moments could be a cash windfall for brands and worthy of their always-on marketing attention. For Clinique, it jumpstarted the need for the brand to act like a nimble startup and affirm its cultural currency. Since then, Clinique has been bullish on reaching younger consumers through college campus activations, building on its Black Honey fame with new products, and further developing its science-led background with new studies and liaisons with medical experts. At the helm of this growth is Michelle Freyre, global brand president of Clinique. She joined The Estée Lauder Companies in 2020 as svp and global general manager of Clinique. Previously, Freyre spent 20 years at Johnson & Johnson holding various leadership roles within its consumer health product division.

Freyre joined the latest episode of the Glossy Beauty podcast to talk about post-Black Honey virality, the significance of Gen Z’s love for skin care and the new needs states of today’s beauty customers. Below are excerpts of the conversation, which have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

The surge in sensitive skin

“We’re seeing sensitive skin as something that continues to increase significantly, and we’re seeing more women having issues with their skin. It’s happening in the U.S. and even in markets like China, where, post-pandemic, there’s been a spike in consumer interest and engagement in sensitive skin content. Consumers are turning to source information to find solutions for their sensitive skin. We’re seeing incredible growth in search in areas like eczema, which is up 30%, and skin barrier research is up 24%. Consumers are searching for skin allergies and rosacea. People with sensitive skin are five times more likely to report skin allergies. There [is also] a correlation between skin inflammation and aging, called ‘inflammaging,’ and it is an area we’re focused on finding new technologies and new formulations based on the latest science.”

On brand relevancy in 2024

“Consumers are looking for more than just a great product; they want a deeper connection with brands. Relevancy, [according to] consumers, is an authentic value-based [brand] that delivers on its promises and a brand that understands their lives. It’s a brand that deeply understands me. Consumers are very overwhelmed and busy. There’s an understanding and desire for simplicity. We have a long-standing history of providing simple routines to achieve results. Relevance is important to break through and achieve success. In today’s beauty market, so long as you’re authentic, people will gravitate to brands they trust and believe are speaking to them and are helping them solve real skin concerns.”

Keeping up excitement for Black Honey lipstick

“[Black Honey] launched in 1972. The recent success and virality in July 2021 have been spectacular. The product went viral after a TikTok creator posted and referred to it as the lipstick worn by Liv Tyler’s character in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ franchise, with fellow creators then jumping in with their own videos, reviewing the lipstick, and talking about how it looked perfect on anybody’s skin tone and skin color. Typically, virality on TikTok lasts a few weeks, maybe a few months. But we’ve continued this momentum in a few ways. One heavily engages with influencers and creators and develops new educational and entertaining content on Black Honey. Black Honey is now the No. 1 lip color shade in the U.S. In the U.K., Pink Honey, which we launched recently, is also growing by double digits, driven by a lot of EMV-focused activation.

The other way we continued the excitement is that we launched Pop Plush and Black Honey, which is part of a 10-shade lip gloss collection. We didn’t originally plan to include that shade in this lip gloss lineup, but then our product development team hustled to move fast, much like indie brands. We included this lip gloss as part of a Kate Spade collaboration in May 2023, and finally, during the holiday season, we introduced a limited-edition Black Honey lipstick in a collectible crystal diamond-coated case. I can assure you this is not the end. More surprises are coming for all the Black Honey fans in 2024.”