How Estée Lauder used Focaldata's AI Qual platform for men's skincare innovation
From weeks to days: How a global beauty leader leveraged AI-powered qualitative research to unlock male consumer insights at unprecedented speed
Challenge
Estée Lauder, a global leader in prestige beauty, needed to understand how consumers perceive new anti-aging skincare solutions. The company was exploring new skincare concepts, ranging from everyday products to targeted treatments addressing visible signs of aging.
The research needed to uncover how consumers respond to advanced product claims, which benefits feel motivating, and where complexity or skepticism could undermine purchase intent. Most critically, Estée Lauder needed these insights within days, not weeks, as traditional research cycles risked slowing down innovation in a market where speed and agility are everything.
Solution
Estée Lauder partnered with Focaldata to leverage their AI-powered qualitative research platform. The approach combined qualitative depth with quantitative scale through:
- AI-Moderated Interviews: The AI platform conducted in-depth interviews with male consumers, presenting multiple product concepts while capturing nuanced reactions and emotional responses.
- Advanced Analysis: The AI system analysed responses for emotional triggers, perceived credibility, naming preferences, and the psychological drivers behind men's engagement with skincare - from first noticing signs of aging to the confidence boost from visible results.
- Speed at Scale: Unlike traditional focus groups limited to 8-12 participants over several weeks, Focaldata's AI qual platform enabled insights from a much larger sample in under a week, maintaining the rich understanding of one-on-one interviews.
Results
By leveraging Focaldata's AI qualitative research platform, Estée Lauder cut research turnaround from weeks to days while capturing all the nuance and depth of traditional qualitative studies.
The AI-powered analysis revealed the psychological drivers behind skincare decisions, enabling Estée Lauder to:
- Refine messaging that speaks authentically to consumers
- Validate naming choices that build trust and appeal
- Identify claims that truly resonate with their target audience
- Optimise product positioning for maximum market impact
In a category where credibility and speed are equally critical, this approach gave Estée Lauder a decisive advantage - ensuring new concepts are backed by science and communicated in ways that feel clear, motivating, and market-ready from day one.
