L'Oréal Indonesia's CMO on merging efficacy with authenticity

Not long ago, Southeast Asia’s beauty market was ruled by global heavyweights with brands like Vaseline, Nivea, and Dove dominating shelves. But recent years have brought a power shift, with local players like Indonesia’s Wardah rising to the top of beauty brand rankings as per Campaign Asia's own research, proving that hyper-local relevance and deep consumer understanding can challenge big international names.

Big names like L'Oréal, for instance, faces a challenge: Can it learn from this hyper-local triumph and connect with Indonesian consumers on a deeper level? Or will it be outflanked by brands that speak directly to the cultural nuances of the region?

"The industry...has rapidly evolved," admits Fabian Prasetya, chief digital and media officer at L'Oréal Indonesia. "Today’s consumers are more discerning, expecting both efficacy and, more importantly, authenticity, ethical sourcing, and transparency."

In this month's The CMO's MO, Prasetya reveals how L'Oréal is attempting to meet these demands, deploying AI-powered personalisation, doubling down on sustainability, and striving to build trust with a new generation of Indonesian consumers.

1. What are your brand's three biggest marketing challenges right now?

The industry, including L’Oréal Indonesia, has rapidly evolved post-pandemic due to the digital boom, creating a market that demands constant adaptation to shifting consumer needs, content creation, and influencer partnerships. While this transformation creates ripple effects, I see it as an exciting dynamic in the market. Today’s consumers are more discerning, expecting both efficacy and, more importantly, authenticity, ethical sourcing, and transparency. To build trust and loyalty, L’Oréal must effectively communicate its commitment to quality, values, and causes larger than itself.

2. What are the three biggest opportunities for your brand?

L’Oréal sees key opportunities in three areas. Consumers’ approach to beauty products has totally changed. With everyone being so digitally savvy these days, there’s a real opportunity to connect with them through interactive social commerce. The key is creating engaging, personalised digital experiences that meet their evolving expectations.

Secondly, as consumers become more sophisticated, they’re demanding more personalised beauty options—it’s not a one-size-fits-all market anymore. L’Oréal is leading the way with advanced beauty tech, like virtual try-ons on L’Oréal Paris or Garnier’s website, which makes finding your perfect lipstick shade super convenient. This trend is only going to grow as technology and data analysis continue to improve.

And then there’s sustainability. 82% of younger consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, which is why our L’Oréal’s commitments are so important.

3. Spill the C-suite strategy around generative AI. Give an example/campaign/case study of how generative AI is used to democratise creativity.

We see GenAI as a game-changer for how we create and connect with consumers. It's not just about generating insights—it’s helping us from creative development to production and analytics.

Internally, we have our own GenAI Beauty Content Lab called CREAITECH. This lab is packed with tools that are changing the way we produce content, helping us roll out innovative beauty campaigns faster, all while sticking to our responsible AI principles. With our L’Oréal GPT model, we’re also speeding up adaptation and boosting internal efficiency. And it’s not just us benefiting—GenAI is also helping our consumers. Take L’Oréal Paris Beauty Genius, for example. It’s a GenAI-powered personal beauty assistant that’s available 24/7 right in your pocket. You can access it on our website, where it gives personalised diagnostics, product recommendations, and answers to your questions in a simple, safe, and easy way.

4. Give us one example to convince our readers that your brand is walking the talk on sustainability.

L'Oréal for the Future is a journey with some pretty big, science-based goals that are at the heart of everything we do. We focus on three main pillars: transforming ourselves, empowering our business ecosystem, and tackling global challenges. Honestly, we could talk about this for weeks, but let me share a few of our recent highlights.

This year, we hit a big milestone—our factory, head office, and warehouse are all running on 100% renewable energy, even ahead of both the national and L'Oréal global targets. It’s a huge step in showing our commitment to the environment. By 2025, we’re aiming to convert all of our rigid plastics into 100% recycled materials.

On the social side, over 800,000 people will benefit from our programmes, including more than 4,500 women who face socio-economic challenges. Through our Beauty For a Better Life initiative, we offer free, intensive beauty training in collaboration with NGOs across Indonesia. Of course, we’re not doing this alone—we’ve had amazing support from the government, our business partners, communities, and media friends.

5. What do you feel separates your brand culture from others?

We have 17 brands in Indonesia, ranging from luxury to mass-market products, and we’re always finding ways to meet consumer needs with a wide range of choices and personalised options—no matter their ethnicity, age, or beauty preferences. At the same time, we’re making sure to bring a positive impact to our entire value chain through our commitment to sustainability.

Overall, what sets us apart is a dynamic mix of things: our diverse brand portfolio, constant innovation, global reach with a local touch, and a strong focus on sustainability.

6. Tell us about the best piece of professional advice you ever got.

With With L'Oréal's chief digital and marketing officer Asmita Dubey 

I’ve always believed that in today’s world, you’ve got to keep adapting and learning as you go. There’s one saying that’s stuck with me since my master’s programme—one of my professors once told me, “As your career progresses, you'll know more because of your experience, but you’ll never know everything.” I’ve taken that to heart. I make it a point to listen to consumers, stay on top of what’s happening, and learn from younger generations to stay current. That sense of humility has helped me keep learning and understand how things are evolving so I can strategise and stay ahead.

7. Tell us one personal thing about yourself that others might not know.

I love my 5:30 a.m. golf sessions—it’s my little escape on the green. Getting five to six hours away from my phone once a week feels incredibly refreshing. I also enjoy brewing my own coffee in my spare time, usually on the weekends. I like experimenting with different recipes and coffee beans. I often find myself checking on my 12-hour cold brew recipe, eagerly waiting to finally taste the result.

At the L'Oreal SAPMEA conferene in Phuket

8. What keeps you up at night as a CMO?

I remember during one of my roundtable discussions, someone asked about what a future-fit marketing approach would look like, especially as we face the growing complexity in the industry. My answer was all about staying ahead by constantly adapting and being open to innovation. It’s about understanding consumer needs, embracing new technologies, and being flexible enough to respond to changes in real-time. Staying on the front edge means not just keeping up with trends but actively shaping them.

9. How do you inspire the next generation of marketers?

Leading by example might sound general, but it’s still the best approach. At L’Oréal, I’m involved in a mentoring program where I help the younger generation navigate their careers—not just by sharing success stories, but also talking about the mistakes and lessons learned along the way. I also mentor outside of L’Oréal, usually with newer professionals who reach out to me during events or forums. We connect, exchange ideas, and have meaningful conversations. I believe the best way to inspire others is by sparking ideas they already have but might not have fully realized yet.