Brand Product Development

Creative Spirit

Brand Product Development stands on its own. It is not an R&D function; nor is it a marketing function. It is a clear, identifiable role in the organization, a rare occurrence in the beauty industry. Our Brand Product Development leads collaborate with R&D, Packaging and Corporate Innovation, as well as global brand teams, to develop a pipeline of prestige products consumers can’t live without.

This unique structure can be attributed to the Company’s respect for the creative spirit and to our founder, Mrs. Estée Lauder, the quintessential product developer. She had an insatiable appetite for invention, for challenging conventions and for creating new things. The Lauder family preserved this tradition and embedded it in the corporate culture. In addition, the founders of many of our acquired brands have been product developers who’ve enhanced this practice with their entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation.

Brand Ethos

Each and every one of our 25+ prestige brands has an ethos and a point of view, an identity and a purpose, which define and differentiate them in the marketplace. The Brand Product Development leads work closely with a Global Brand President, Creative, and with Marketing to identify the brand strategy that supports the business. They draw upon their strong personal connections with the brand’s essence — which helps to guarantee the integrity, exclusivity and authenticity of each brand.

“The innovation that we do and the way that we are able to connect dots and bring innovation from here and an idea from here and put it together, that collision always includes how to position it so it’s right for the brand that we’re working on,” says Janet Pardo, Senior Vice President, Product Development.

Discovery and Invention

Transcending all brands is a focus on creatively driven concepts and ideas. Inspiration can come from anywhere: fashion, pop culture, the natural world — even food or the automotive industry. The product development process greatly benefits from a diversity of minds and disciplines within the Company, and from the resources needed to go out and learn and discover.

“Our overall responsibility is to work with the brand to develop innovation strategies so we can support their business initiatives,” says Anne Carullo, Senior Vice President, Corporate Product Innovation. “We are also responsible for developing and conceptualizing — that is, investigating new disruptive concepts and ideas outside the industry and applying them to our business.”

Ideas to Action

“Artistry is at the forefront of the M·A·C brand — it’s how we started and who we are today,” says Jennifer Balbier, Senior Vice President, Global Product Development, Artistry Brands. “It’s this passion that fuels us and our artists, creating trends both on a global and local scale with innovative products and provocative collaborations. Backstage during fashion weeks around the world, our artists test new products, working hand in hand with our Product Development team. Our global expansion drives ideas, as artists in store help to identify relevant consumer needs in new and emerging markets.”

“Thinking differently, pushing boundaries and answering ‘Why’ are the key ingredients our team uses to create and curate inspiring omniproduct experiences for La Mer,” says Loretta Miraglia, Senior Vice President, Product Development. “As Product Development, we must see what most don’t see, champion that vision and innovate products, stories and experiences so our consumers see themselves in our brand.”