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00:00Well listen, I promised y'all some really fabulous and amazing panels this afternoon, and this next one is absolutely no exception.
00:09In this next phase of discussion today, we will have a sponsor moment brought to you by the Black Executives at L'Oreal
00:15as they discuss championing the culture and ensuring the recognition of black women's impact on beauty, because y'all are the beauty standard, amen?
00:24We're happy to have L'Oreal USA as one of our major partners this year.
00:28They're coming to the stage now with a no-filter conversation on championing the culture from the inside with some of the black women executives, leading brands such as L'Oreal Paris, Dark and Lovely, my mama uses that, Thayer's, including the legendary founder and creative director of Carol's daughter, Lisa Price.
00:47Y'all, welcome to the stage, L'Oreal!
00:52Ooh, yes honey, this stage just smells like money, ooh!
00:54How are we doing, Essence?
00:58How are we feeling?
01:00We are so excited to be here with y'all.
01:03My name is Aubrey Moslin, and I have the privilege of leading communications and engagement for diversity, equity, and inclusion at L'Oreal.
01:10And I am honored to join this stage with you all today with these lovely, powerful, beautiful black women who are helping to lead our company to best serve you.
01:23So, I want to first start out by giving these ladies an opportunity to introduce themselves.
01:28So, why don't we start with your name, your role, and maybe your favorite beauty product, since we are a beauty company after all.
01:38Okay, this is, I have all my brands here, so, and this one next to me who's going to be really upset.
01:43So, my name is Nael Jones, I am the VP and Head of U.S. Consumer Engagement for L'Oreal Consumer Products Division.
01:51I've been at L'Oreal for eight years, mostly in digital and other marketing roles.
01:56And my current favorite beauty products, current, is Maybelline Vinyl Ink Lip in Wicked.
02:05I have, like, five different shades.
02:08It's over there, I promise.
02:10Check it out.
02:11I wear it all the time.
02:12The one that I'm really dying to try is the Lancôme NutriX Body Cream, because that was what everyone was wearing at the Met Gala, and it sells out all the time.
02:21And even if I'm in the building, I can't find it.
02:23I can't find it either, y'all.
02:24We work there, and we have trouble getting it, so it's that good.
02:28Hello, Essence.
02:30Woo, can I hear some cloud participation?
02:32Are you happy to be here?
02:34We're happy to be here.
02:36I'm Crystal Thompson.
02:37I am the Assistant Vice President of Brand Engagement for L'Oreal Paris in the U.S.
02:43What that means is I oversee public relations and philanthropy for the brand.
02:47And my favorite beauty product, well, I'll have two.
02:50I'm an edge control girl.
02:52I wear edge control to the supermarket to sleep probably sometimes at night.
02:57I love edge control.
02:58My favorite OG classic is Black Vanilla by Carol's Daughter.
03:02And my favorite lip, because I am a lipstick fanatic, I wore lipstick all through the pandemic, even with a mask, is Intense Volumet by L'Oreal Paris.
03:12It's a beautiful matte lipstick with an amazing finish.
03:16So, that's me.
03:17Wow.
03:18Hey, Essence.
03:20Woo!
03:21How you doing?
03:22This is Lisa Price.
03:24And my role at L'Oreal is being founder of Carol's Daughter.
03:29Woo!
03:30And contrary to popular belief, I still go to work every day, okay?
03:35And I've been at L'Oreal now for nearly nine years.
03:40And my favorite current beauty product, I'm not going to say something from my line because that's too cliche.
03:47I love fragrance.
03:49And there's an amazing fragrance house called Maison Margiela, which is owned by L'Oreal.
03:55And bubble bath is divine.
03:58And I just found out from Aubrey that not only does it come in the eau de toilette, which I already have, it comes in a candle and a diffuser.
04:06So, Maison Margiela, bubble bath.
04:08They might as well pay me in Maison Margiela at this point, y'all.
04:12Me too.
04:14Not bad.
04:15All right.
04:15Well, we set the stage.
04:17Clearly, we've got some powerhouse folks for y'all today.
04:19So, why don't we start with a question where each of our panelists are going to share their perspective, right?
04:25So, how does your black identity inform the way that you show up each and every day and best figure out how to serve the black consumer and their beauty needs?
04:35Let's start with you, Nail.
04:38Well, I'm black 365 days of the year, so I cannot hide it.
04:43And I definitely, I think it started when I've been, I was like, don't, the beauty products and the skincare makes me look much younger than my age.
04:53But I've been doing this for 23 years.
04:56And really making sure and being through it and working at other companies and kind of like sitting and you finally get a seat at the table and most people are like, let me be quiet.
05:04I said, I'm not being quiet.
05:06So, I got in front of people and I really had a strong conversation of, we need to make sure that we're talking to everyone, particularly black women, because when something happens, we lead and everyone else follows.
05:20And a lot of people can sit and actually know and people inside know.
05:25I know Crystal knows and Lisa, I don't have, I'm not quiet about anything.
05:28And I'm very happy to be a, one of the founding members of our internal DEI advisory board for, and I sit with our CEO regularly and have a lot of conversations to make sure that if what we're doing, if policy we're doing, particularly for consumers does not work, I'm not quiet.
05:47And I'm looking at our chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, Angela Guy.
05:52And she knows, which is why she put me there, because she knows I'm not going to be quiet.
05:56Nails some good trouble.
05:57We like good trouble.
05:59What about you, Crystal?
06:01So, for me, again, just echoing Nail, I'm proud of being a black woman, and I'm even prouder of being a black woman when I'm at work, because I know that my voice and my perspective is so important.
06:14You know, working in my brand and in my day-to-day role, I oversee the partnerships that we have, how we speak with our consumers, where we show up as a brand,
06:24the content creators that we participate and partner with, even sometimes the spokes that we sign at a brand global level, and really, truly understanding that you have a voice at the table, and you really have a unique perspective that needs to be shared.
06:38And I'm not shy about that, and specifically around, yes, being black, but also body representation for black women.
06:46We are all beautiful.
06:48Beauty comes in many shades, colors, size, shapes, but specifically black women.
06:53And I'm always championing that.
06:56And one thing I've learned over the years is sometimes your initial idea isn't immediately approved, right?
07:02So you may have an idea to come to Essence Festival as a total company.
07:09And sometimes it's not approved right away.
07:11But you are consistent in your advocacy, you're consistent in your voice, and, you know, anything can happen.
07:18So I really, truly value the voice that I have and the perspective that I have, and I'm consistent in bringing that advocacy to my job every single day.
07:26I love that perseverance.
07:29Lisa, you got to follow that one.
07:32The way that I show up as a black woman at L'Oreal is, well, first off, I'm 61 years old.
07:42So I have seen a lot, I have lived through a lot, and I have struggled a lot.
07:48And the struggle bus no longer picks me up at my house.
07:52We're not doing that anymore.
07:53So I can be that voice in the C-suite, if you will, that can speak the perspective
08:02of the consumer who looks like me, and not just the consumer who looks like me, but the junior employee who looks like me.
08:09To champion their efforts, to give voice to that, to give allyship to that.
08:17That's how I show up for myself, for my colleagues, for the colleagues that are coming up under us,
08:25and then ultimately for the consumer.
08:28And like these ladies have said, we're not shy, we're not quiet, and we speak our minds.
08:34And no, it's just an invitation to go back and do another presentation.
08:38That is very important.
08:39Amen.
08:40Amen.
08:41And the church said amen.
08:43So, Lisa, you really took us there from a good segue, right?
08:46In times like today, particularly, why is it so important that we continue to champion the culture?
08:52It – there are so many things at work for our good that are actually working and gaining traction.
09:04And because of that, there are so many things at work to our detriment because people can see the traction that the things for our good are bringing.
09:14And it's times like this where we have to be even more vigilant about the work that we do.
09:20We can't relax because this looks like this.
09:25Because people are putting policies in place, systemic issues, rules, laws that will cut us off at the knees 10 years from now, 15 years from now, if we're not careful.
09:38So, we have to be loud.
09:40We have to advocate.
09:41We have to say, no, we're not going to do that.
09:44And we have to work within the systems.
09:46We can't just stay outside of them.
09:48We have to work within the systems in order to make permanent and lasting change that is for the good of all.
09:55Because when you represent the underserved and the underrepresented, you represent for everyone.
10:02But people don't want you to know that.
10:04That's right.
10:05That rising tide lifting all boats, right?
10:08Crystal, how do you respond to that?
10:10Why is it so important that we continue to champion the culture?
10:13Yes.
10:13And, you know, as a black woman and as black people, we have the privilege of knowing that black people have always been trendsetters.
10:20We have always set the trends, right?
10:23And, you know, we know that from a marketing perspective.
10:26We know that when we come to work.
10:29And a big thing that we're doing as a brand is really going into the communities and going where the consumer is and speaking to them.
10:37But not only speaking to them and introducing ourselves, but listening to them and having them tell us as a brand what it is that they want from us, what they want in terms of products, what they want in terms of events, interactions, the content creators that they love.
10:52You know, my cousins are always telling me, you need to work with such and such.
10:54And I'm like, okay, keep telling me.
10:56You know, we need that.
10:57And we as a brand, we have so much to learn.
11:00You know, we're always listening, always learning.
11:02And a big part of our activation strategy this year is truly going into regions, into markets, and showing up as a brand to have conversations that probably haven't been had in a while, but they need to be had.
11:15Because black people set the culture.
11:17We set the trends.
11:19And if we want to grow and evolve as a brand, we have to listen.
11:21And the blessing of being at a major brand and a major global beauty company is we then can take our platforms and translate that, give these influencers, these beautiful content creators, these consumers a platform to speak.
11:37And that's what we truly have to do as a brand.
11:39Listen and then elevate.
11:42That co-creation.
11:43I love that.
11:44I love that.
11:44Nael, why is it so important that we continue to champion the culture?
11:49Because we move the world.
11:52And I'm not just the U.S.
11:53Say that part again.
11:54We move the world.
11:57Not just the U.S., but every single country, every continent on this planet is guided by the style that we do here.
12:06And so making sure that there is recognition so that if something has originated and it's, oh, well, let's try this and all of a sudden it's blown up on TikTok.
12:17I work in digital, so I'm on it all the time.
12:20But understanding, oh, this is rising on TikTok.
12:24It's become viral.
12:25And I said, well, who started it?
12:27Where did it originate?
12:29Let's go back and let's have a conversation with that person, not with the person that all of a sudden got this many views because that's what happened.
12:36And now they saw it and they've recreated it.
12:38And I want to make sure that we're sitting and we're working as not just what we call like the top or like the multimillion follower influencers.
12:47And there are a lot of those that look like us that thankfully we can work with.
12:51But also making sure, well, who's the up and coming?
12:53Who's the rising?
12:54Who are actually pushing because what happens is a lot of the traction, a lot of the movement happens at that level.
13:01You look at different creators that are, you know, they have what you would deem, most marketers would deem smaller communities.
13:08But those communities are the ones that are having conversations, that are guiding, that are really involved.
13:13And those are the people that you want to talk to, you want to follow, you want to think about, and you want to have a conversation with.
13:19And I think that's one of the key pieces for brands is to sit back and understand, let's have conversations that when we start talking about things, we're understanding also how our people are looking at it, how our people are using it.
13:32Because at the end of the day, we know, and usually what happens in three to six months, it's now mainstream.
13:40So how do we make sure that we're getting the credit we deserve, the compensation we deserve, and really making sure that that is recognized just amongst us, because we know it, but amongst the mainstream.
13:55Let's give it up.
13:56Give it up.
13:59I have chills because the conviction, the passion, the responsibility, and the accountability that y'all are continuing to drive forward is so important.
14:08I want to switch gears a little bit, going back to Lisa.
14:13So Lisa, you mentioned earlier, you are the founder of an iconic brand.
14:17How do you ensure that your brand, Carol's Daughter, and your vision for that brand remains strong throughout all aspects of the business?
14:27Aubrey, that is such an interesting question.
14:30I have been a part of L'Oreal now for nearly nine years.
14:35And the assumption that a lot of people made when I joined the L'Oreal family was that they were going to take me away from me, and they were going to take me away from you, and they were going to change everything that I had built and that I had become.
14:53And I understand where that fear comes from and where that concern comes from, but what I can say after being here for nearly nine years now, it's the exact opposite.
15:06I'm invited into the building to bring me into the building and to bring the consumer, to bring the authenticity, to bring the knowledge that we have, and to continue to serve the community.
15:20And like I said, we have to work from the inside as well as from the outside.
15:25I will be the first person to champion black-owned brands all day long.
15:30I wear black-owned brands every single day of my life, multiple black-owned brands at one time.
15:37But that doesn't mean that it's not okay to step inside the building when you need to make more change, when you need to build generational wealth, when you need to ensure that your legacy is sound and has a future.
15:51And every acquisition is not a bad thing.
15:55It's an opportunity for more growth.
15:57So don't let the naysayers change the conversation.
16:02Talk to the people who are inside the building to understand what is actually happening.
16:07I love that.
16:07I'm hearing a round of applause.
16:10Bigger platform, bigger reach, bigger impact.
16:13Summation.
16:14All right.
16:15Now, going to each of you, because I know you're both marketers, digital experts.
16:19How do you, when you're working with your teams, and I'm going to start with you, Crystal, how do you work with your teams, your marketing leaders, to make sure that they're being really intentional and authentic when they're connecting with black communities and black consumers?
16:33I think the first step in all of this is education.
16:36You have to understand who you're speaking to and how, you know, the black consumer, the black audience, black content creators want to be spoken to in order to be authentic in your interactions and your engagement.
16:50And the first thing I'll do is I'm like, if you want to have a conversation, if you have a question, you know, I can be a resource.
16:56And here are resources for you.
16:59I think education is the first step in authenticity.
17:02We sometimes go into things ignorantly.
17:05And this is a community that's very vocal, very engaged, very aware.
17:10And we, as communicators, as marketers, we have to make sure that our fellow marketing teams are engaged.
17:17So I personally do not mind being that voice of education, but also providing resources.
17:22And I think a lot of times it's being in rooms like this, it's being in the moment like this, and understanding.
17:29You cannot explain Essence Festival to someone who hasn't been here.
17:33You have to walk the floors of the convention center to see the impact of black people, black women, everyone who comes and descends into New Orleans for these three days.
17:44It's something that you have to experience.
17:45And this is a part of the educational journey in order to even know how to build an activation.
17:51What does that activation look like?
17:54Who are the experts that we're bringing?
17:55What are the services that we are offering?
17:57And truly, what is the need?
17:59And you cannot resolve that until you're educated and you have truly mastered understanding.
18:05I love that.
18:06It's important to focus on that education, raising that awareness, right?
18:11Nail, how do you approach it?
18:12When you think about working with your marketing leaders, your marketing teams, making sure that they are appropriately educated and connected to the consumer in an authentic way.
18:22I think there's two things.
18:24So one, as a tech person, data.
18:28So I am very much in the, this is a nice pool of data.
18:32Can you cut it by consumer?
18:33Can you cut it by race?
18:34Can you cut it by age?
18:36Can you cut it by location?
18:37Can you cut it by everything?
18:39So that we're not just looking at the overall.
18:41It's like, this is what the number says.
18:43I'm like, that's what the number says there.
18:45But actually, when you look deeper, what does it say?
18:48So making sure that we're really looking deep into the data and not saying, well, this number says X.
18:53And I'm like, your number's not telling the whole story.
18:56And that's often what I have said to people directly.
18:59So there's one.
19:00So I do think making sure that we have the data to help us tell the story.
19:04And we know within the walls of L'Oreal, it's like you go a long way with passion.
19:09But you also, you can take that passion further with the data to support your passion.
19:14So that's one.
19:15I think the second piece is I am, as being on the DEI advisory board, I also have been part of what we call internally woke uncut, which is the women of color think tank, the consumer angle of it.
19:29And we make sure that we sit down and we are well open to consumer, to all of our brands to come to us and say, what does this look like?
19:39Like, does this make sense?
19:40Is this ad right?
19:41And when I say uncut, we are uncut.
19:44We tell the truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth.
19:48We make sure that we come in that moment as a consumer and we tell them how it's going to be, how it's going to resonate.
19:55And not just for U.S. brands.
19:56We do it for our global brands as well.
19:58I can tell you not, and not even just for our mass market brands, but I've done it for like YSL, for Armani, et cetera, as well.
20:06And I've seen the impact.
20:07It's truly valuable.
20:08All right.
20:09So I could share this stage with these fantastic women all afternoon, but unfortunately, they are going to yank me.
20:15So last question, right?
20:16And Lisa, you alluded to it earlier.
20:18This aspect of legacy.
20:19So 10, 15, 20 years from now, what do you want your legacy to be?
20:24What do you want to be remembered for and leave behind when you think about the beauty industry?
20:28I want to be remembered for telling black women particularly how beautiful and incredible that they are and embracing the beauty that is within and allowing it to shine out.
20:42And I also want to be remembered for encouraging other black women entrepreneurs to build their careers, their wealth, and their businesses.
20:52It is such a passion of mine, and it has been an amazing experience to walk around this convention center and see people that I have mentored, see people who dreamed of being able to afford to have a booth in here and to have them be in here today having booths and selling out.
21:11It is so amazing to see that.
21:14Crystal?
21:16I would like to be remembered as a mentor and an advocate.
21:19When I came into this field of public relations some years ago, I won't say how many, there weren't many black women in PR.
21:28I was always one of two or just the only.
21:32And now to see so many black women getting into the space of communications and public relations, you know, just being able to be an advocate and a mentor for them.
21:40And to let them know, like, these are the steps that you can take.
21:44Because in order to change the industry, we have to change the workforce, right?
21:49And there have to be employees who know how to speak to the consumer, who understand the consumer, who have a personal experience.
21:55So I truly want to be a mentor and an advocate.
21:57And I want someone to look at me as a black, curvy woman working at L'Oreal USA and say, you can do that too, right?
22:06And you can walk into doors and feel empowered and feel respected and know that there are seats waiting for you to fill them.
22:13So hopefully that could be my legacy.
22:14Y'all are giving me chills.
22:17I know we're running on time and I'm like, I want to do that too.
22:22But I think for me, being in the position that I am, I want to ensure that the investment that we do when it comes to the marketing to consumers, that we shift that balance.
22:34And that we're making more investments in the black influences and creators that we work with, the black-owned media that we work with, the black partners, the black experiences like this.
22:47I want to ensure that we are dedicating more and more of our budgets to things like this so we continue to rise and build.
22:55That is my goal and my ultimate goal to have us continue to do that, not just for L'Oreal, but really make sure I make it an industry standard across the board.
23:06Brilliant.
23:06Give it up, y'all.
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