The Estée Lauder Companies are committed to cutting-edge R&D and scientific excellence. Founded by a pioneering woman, they continually seek ways to support other female pioneers.
With women making up less than a third of the world’s researchers, the organization sought to put the spotlight on both the exceptional achievements of female scientists and those working to promote greater inclusivity.
The Estée Lauder Companies were interested in showcasing their future-forward approach to diversity by supporting women in STEM. The company also wanted to build awareness around its commitment to R&D and academic research.
It was also crucial to establish a long-term partnership that would create a community of mentors, as well as support that community. The company knew first-hand that mentoring, and specifically mentoring of young women, is a strong contributor to success.
How could The Estée Lauder Companies help build recognition for inspirational early-career female researchers and those who have worked to champion women and girls’ participation in science?
After plenty of discussion, a plan developed to launch two global awards:
Awareness for the inaugural awards and applicant submissions were driven by multi-channel marketing campaigns.
The Nature marketing team used audience segmentation to target the right people for each stage of the awards process.
A custom landing page was built to act as the hub for inbound traffic, driven through social media and digital and print campaigns.
Branded content around the awards, ‘Recognizing the beauty of science, and the science behind beauty’, was published on nature.com and in print.
The promotional campaign for the awards resulted in an abundance of quality applicants.
The mentoring channel saw high levels of engagement from the shortlist of nominees, emphasizing the importance of mentorship programs. Participation in the channel, including a wide-range of discussion topics, exceeded the company’s expectations.
The company also received a lot of positive feedback from their communities. After speaking with some of their new hires in science & engineering, the company realized the far reaching impact of the awards. Employees also expressed the importance of joining a company that personified diversity & gender inclusivity in research.
I hope people take away from these awards that they represent a partnership between Nature and The Estée Lauder Companies, in promoting women in STEM and the educational opportunities to advance that. I really believe that these awards will result in a true force of change for this area.
Lisa Napolione SVP, Global Research and DevelopmentThe Estée Lauder Companies
