Estee Lauder: Making a Play in Skin Longevity

The case examines Estée Lauder’s strategic positioning within the skin longevity movement, focusing on the repositioning of their Re-Nutriv franchise. It highlights how the longevity movement—centered on the belief that aging is a biological process that can be influenced or potentially reversed—creates significant business opportunities for startups and incumbents alike.

Through the Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv repositioning story, the case illustrates how global brands need to carefully calibrate their marketing and distribution strategies in order to successfully sell the same products across widely different international markets, while maintaining a consistent brand identity and positioning.

By comparing the U.S. and China skincare markets, the case explores how different demographics think about aging—influenced by societal and cultural factors—and how these differences shape consumer preferences and purchasing behaviors. Readers get insights on how the longevity movement requires brands to rethink traditional age-based customer segmentation in favor of multi-generational strategies that simultaneously attract consumers across all ages.