L’Oreal Fines Going Dark Very Lovely
By: Ainsley Brown
The cosmetics giant, L’Oreal, seeks to expand in the largely untapped African market – or I should say African markets, as the continent is made up of many individual national and regional markets.
I must say that I find this a very interesting business strategy by a global titian. There is also, I must admit a touch of irony here. Commercial Law International has covered L’Oreal before, mainly on its global protracted battle against eBay to protect its brands against knock-offs. However, and this is where irony comes in, there was also a not so flattering story of L’Oreal being found guilty of racial discrimination in France.
The case basically boiled down to L’Oreal deciding that in order to sell its products to the white majority, radicalized minorities were not worth it. L’Oreal simply responded to a perceived market demand – nay, need – that Black, Arab and Asian women were not best suited to sell its products. Dark just wasn’t seen as being lovely.
What a dramatic reversal, with this new African drive, it would seem that Africans are indeed worth it after all.
With subsidiaries in Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and South Africa and its products available in most countries on the continent, L’Oreal hopes to tap into markets where costumers are eager for quality products specifically aimed at them. Enter L’Oreal with its Dark and Lovely brand – a series of body locations specifically developed fro dark skin.
Dark and lovely indeed – because they are worth it.
There is definately a lot to know about this issue. I love all the points you have made.