In today’s fast-paced marketing landscape, innovation and consumer connection are paramount, especially in the rapidly evolving beauty industry. A groundbreaking development in this field is the integration of ChatGPT technology, revolutionizing how consumers interact with beauty products. Leading this innovative charge for Dove Hair is Ekaterina Anikina, a seasoned marketing and product development specialist at Unilever. With over a decade of experience, she has successfully driven global initiatives and product launches. As one of the leading experts in beauty innovation, she shares her insights into integrating AI technology into brand eco-systems to create meaningful engagement with consumers, her career path, and her mission to challenge beauty stereotypes through inclusive and realistic advertising
Q: Ekaterina, it is a pleasure to finally talk to you, despite the limited amount of time we have. So, let me get straight to the point. You have traveled through half of the world, working on behalf of one of the main corporations in the beauty industry. For a sort of introduction before we get to the very topic of our meeting, could you briefly walk us through your way to success?
Ekaterina Anikina: Good afternoon! Yes, it truly took some time to coordinate our schedules, and I am glad to finally meet you. Answering your question, I began my marketing career quite some time ago, in 2010, in Unilever’s hair care category – one of the most fast-paced, emotional, and disruptive categories in beauty. Here I discovered my passion for product and advertising development while working on iconic brands like Dove and Clear and launching new premium brands such as Toni&Guy. My journey took me across continents, from the UK to Argentina and now to the US. Here, I lead innovation and communication development for Dove Hair in North America. As you can imagine, it means leading innovations for completely different markets, while understanding consumer routines and marketing landscapes. In a nutshell, it’s been a journey, literally and figuratively, but it shaped me as a marketeer and a beauty crafter.
Q: Indeed! And speaking right about innovations, I would like to ask you about the Dove scalp + hair therapy project. As I already found out, the integration of Artificial Intelligence into the beauty sphere took place with this one. Tell us more!
Ekaterina Anikina: Yes, this launch marks a significant and exciting milestone for the brand. Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy is a new range of holistic scalp + hair care products. Beyond products – it’s an integrated experience that features an AI-enabled personal consultant to help people find the products that work best for their hair and scalp needs. This project addresses the lack of awareness about scalp care and products/routines best suited for different scalp types, or frequently – even the ability to identify one’s scalp type correctly. We developed a tool that provides people with the necessary knowledge about their scalp and offers personalized product recommendations from the Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy range, in addition to providing tips about scalp care, relevant expert articles, advice on how to apply products and how to build your scalp care routine, just like many of us build our face care routine. We built our product by harnessing the power of large language models. It has gained international recognition and was presented at London Tech Week in June 2024.
Q: Please provide us with more technical details. How does it actually work?
We wanted to build a conversational solution that feels human-like and in order to achieve that, we harnessed the power of pre-trained large language models like GPT. We created a custom model trained on our brand intelligence that can answer a wide range of queries on hair & scalp. This project is enabling us to innovate towards a more dynamic, conversational AI-driven experience. It paves the way for a future where web experiences are not just responsive but truly interactive and personalized, answering basic inquiries and generating micro web experiences tailored to more complex questions through simple chat interactions. Accessible via Dove.com, this tool will recommend the best Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy products for you after learning about your hair type and goals via an interactive, 12-question assessment.
Of course, as with any digital tool, it cannot replace an in-person consultation with your trichologist or dermatologist, but it’s a great educational experience.
Q: I assume this is yet another example of how technology is changing every part of our lives. What factors helped you achieve success with this project, and what obstacles did you face?
Ekaterina Anikina: We have to admit most of us don’t pay enough attention to scalp health until problems arise: it’s a classic case of out of sight – out of mind. So, our challenges included low to medium awareness of scalp health fundamentals, difficulty that many consumers may experience in correctly identifying their scalp types., and overall confusion about the role of each product that may be offered in a routine. Success came from aligning consumer problems with technology from the start and thinking ecosystem and consumer-first, rather than product-first. We started with an actual consumer problem, current attitudes to the scalp, and main pain points Do I need to use a scalp scrub every day or once a week? Can I use it if I have a sensitive scalp? Should I apply a serum on dry or wet hair? The list goes on and on. Then we overlaid it with our consumer’s digital journeys, as well as physical product experience to create a connected ecosystem to address these questions – from pack QR codes leading to the experience to e-com integration, to our brand channels, as well as physical educational leaflets with immediate express scalp tests and links to a full experience – it all is focused on providing valuable, tailored content – from brand experts and dermatologists to create a meaningful digital experience for consumers.
Q: And the project we talk about has already received its first recognition winning several awards since it was launched. Can you tell us more about these results?
Ekaterina Anikina: I am thrilled that this launch has already gained recognition by the industry’s experts. Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy range has already won six Beauty Awards since its launch in January 2024, our hero product – Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Serum is already a top 10 new treatment in sales among new treatments launched in the US this year. Overall, the launch has gained a lot of attention throughout the professional community, including dermatologists and trichologists. Dove scalp + hair therapy range was presented at the American Academy of Dermatology 2024 meeting. The AI experience was showcased at London Tech Week.
Q: Awards given to projects must have an impact on the project’s authors as well, don’t they?
A: Yes and no. The first time a marketing campaign I created received an award was back in 2011 when I was fresh out of the University, so it felt surreal. Since then, this kind of recognition has occurred in several countries, and I see it more like an immensely gratifying and humbling experience, but never a goal in itself. For instance, while I am proud that the products I have worked on have already won over 50 Beauty Awards in the US, and I personally won the 2022 Best of Business Award in international marketing, and served on the jury of the Successful Ladies Award, but it’s all a consequence, not a goal. And if anything, it’s a reminder to remain curious and never stay complacent, because the pace of innovations is very intense, and the bar gets raised higher and higher each year. So I believe in staying curious and constantly learning to succeed in the future…
Q: …and speaking of the future, what further impact do you want your project to have on other people? What’s next?
Ekaterina Anikina: I hope this launch helps women understand the power of caring for their scalp to achieve more resilient, healthy-looking, and nourished hair. Ultimately, we want women to have a positive relationship with their unique beauty.
Q: I also remember you talking about your future not only as a goal-achiever but also as a sort of knowledge-distributor, if I may name it this way. Is this idea still on the table?
Ekaterina Anikina: Oh, yes! Beyond a product launch, I’ve also authored an academic article on strategies and ways of creating new consumer habits, and another paper looking into portfolio premiumization strategies in beauty, drawing on this experience as well as more than a decade of working across geographies in beauty and leveraging case studies across the industry.
Q: It seems like you’ve found your passion in elevating the beauty industry to new heights. What social impact do you strive to achieve with your work? Do you have a personal mission?
Ekaterina Anikina: My mission is to widen beauty representation and challenge toxic beauty stereotypes. For instance, while women are all too often encouraged to change their hair to fit societal standards, be it coloring their grays or changing their hair shape, I led the Dove Love Your Hair Collection, celebrating all hair types and encouraging women to love and nourish the hair that makes them, them. This campaign was part of Dove’s commitment to real beauty, addressing the pressures and unrealistic standards women face regarding their hair. My goal as a professional is to use every tool available, even those never tried before in the industry, to contribute positively to the conversation around beauty.
