This is Matt Reustle, and today we are breaking down the personal care giant, L’Oreal. We cover L’Oréal’s history of brand innovation, how acquisitions have fueled its global expansion, and its commitment to sustainability.
Our guest is Zehrid Osmani – Head of the Long-Term Unconstrained team at Martin Currie.
I’d mention this episode is an excellent pairing with our Founders podcast episode 217 on Estee Lauder. Please enjoy this breakdown of L’Oreal.

Show Notes
[00:00:00] – Introduction
[00:02:27] – [First question] – Origins of L’Oreal and its scientific approach
[00:04:01] – Structure and market share of L’Oreal today
[00:04:36] – Outline of L’Oreal’s brands and consumer products
[00:07:30] – Licensed agreements versus fully owned brands
[00:08:48] – Market split between mass market, high-end, and professional products
[00:09:31] – Strategy-driven growth by division since 2014
[00:11:03] – Reasons why acquisitions are a key part of L’Oreal’s strategy
[00:14:26] – Noteworthy competitors in the same markets
[00:16:03] – Sales and marketing strategies within stores and e-commerce
[00:19:47] – How L’Oreal deals with the logistical challenges of e-commerce
[00:21:59] – Margins and long-term growth
[00:24:40] – Overhead costs and the proportion spent on advertising
[00:25:57] – Advertising campaigns and legacy of L’Oreal’s advertising strategy
[00:30:03] – L’Oreal’s R&D strategy and budget
[00:33:09] – Breakthroughs in the development of new products
[00:34:42] – L’Oreal’s global presence and price stratification to serve diverse geographies
[00:39:59] – The company’s potential future growth opportunities
[00:42:19] – Operating margin and profitability over time from an investor’s perspective
[00:44:39] – Re-investment in the company versus dividend payout
[00:45:14] – More on acquisitions as a piece of the overall model
[00:46:25] – Key risk categories for the business
[00:51:43] – L’Oreal’s commitment on sustainability and ESG broadly
[00:55:52] – Lessons learned from analyzing L’Oreal