As AI continues to transform the marketing industry, the challenge isn’t just adopting new tools — it’s using them without losing the emotional depth and authenticity consumers expect. Drawing on years of experience in retail strategy, Jackie Staub, Vice President of Retail & Business Strategies at L’Oréal, offers a personal perspective on how brands can harness AI to enhance creativity, refine influence, and deepen connection — all without compromising their values.
As AI and AGI-driven content become more prominent, how is L’Oréal thinking about balancing human creativity with machine-generated influence in retail and brand storytelling?
I’ve seen that AI can significantly enhance our brand storytelling, but it should always complement human creativity, not replace it. From my work in the beauty retail space, I’ve seen how AI can provide powerful insights and drive personalization, but it’s the human touch that brings authenticity and emotional depth to our narratives. The focus is on ensuring that AI supports creative teams by providing data-driven insights (like identifying underrepresented voices or strategic focus) allowing them to craft more personalized and emotionally resonant stories that align with brand values. Data can tell us what people care about, but only humans can articulate why it matters in a way that builds brand love.
From your perspective, how is AI changing the definition of “influence” — especially in beauty, where authenticity and emotional connection are so critical?
AI is shifting the way we think about influence by allowing us to connect with consumers on a more individual level. In beauty, where authenticity and emotional resonance are key, AI helps us understand consumer preferences and behaviors on a deeper level. This personalized approach means influence is no longer defined by broad reach alone, but by creating connections that feel authentic and emotionally engaging. For me, the key to effective influence in the beauty space is maintaining that emotional connection, even as we leverage AI to personalize and refine the experience.
What are some of the biggest opportunities — and potential risks — you see in using AI to drive content and retail strategies today?
The opportunities in AI are immense, particularly in personalization. We can leverage AI to understand consumer preferences, predict trends, and create highly tailored content that resonates on an individual level. The risk, however, is that AI could drive content that feels too automated or lacks the emotional depth that consumers value, especially in the beauty space. The challenge is to find a balance between efficiency and emotional connection, ensuring that AI enhances, rather than diminishes, the human aspects of brand engagement.
How do you approach evaluating AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with brand values?
Evaluating AI-generated content requires a strong alignment with a brand's core values like inclusivity, empowerment, and authenticity. In my experience, AI can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, but we must ensure that the content it generates upholds these values. We focus on reviewing AI-generated content through a creative lens, making sure it not only aligns with the data but also resonates emotionally with our diverse consumer base. This approach ensures that our brand values remain front and center in everything we do, even as we embrace new technologies. Even when AI outputs technically “on-brand” content, it’s still a human responsibility to ask: Does this feel right? Does it respect the values we stand for?
Are there emerging best practices you’re seeing for integrating AI-driven media into retail marketing campaigns without losing the personal touch consumers expect?
The key to integrating AI into retail campaigns while maintaining a personal touch is to use AI for its strengths — automation, personalization, and data analysis — while keeping the creative process human-driven. Best practices include leveraging AI to provide insights and automate certain tasks, but always leaving room for human creativity to shape the final message. This ensures that campaigns still feel personal, relevant, and authentic to consumers, even as they benefit from the efficiencies AI can bring.
Looking ahead, how do you envision AI reshaping the future of brand partnerships with creators and influencers?
AI will play a significant role in refining how we partner with influencers and creators, enabling us to identify the most relevant voices for our brands and craft more personalized, data-driven collaborations. Going forward, I see AI helping to assess consumer sentiment and engagement, ensuring that influencer partnerships are not only effective but also authentic and aligned with brand values. The challenge will be to balance data-driven insights with the creativity and emotional resonance that make influencer partnerships so impactful in the beauty space. One idea I’ve found powerful is using AI to co-create briefs with influencers — where data shapes the direction, but creators still have room for their voice. AI is not just a tool — it’s a strategic partner. But without a creative conscience, it risks disconnecting us from what makes beauty powerful: emotion, identity, and culture.
Interviewee note: These views are based on my personal experience and observations in the industry and do not reflect the official position of L’Oréal.
