Most prestige skincare brands are trying to win the category the same way everyone else is: louder launches, faster trends, more content, more claims.

And yet the brands that endure often do the opposite: they build credibility slowly through expertise, trust, results, and a consumer experience that feels guided rather than sold.

In this episode, we explore why professional skincare still wins in a market obsessed with speed, trends, and influencer launches, and why heritage brands can’t rely on history alone to stay relevant.

I speak with Rodrigue Chastenet de Géry, General Manager of Payot Australia, about what prestige actually means when you’re sold through professionals, not hype. We explore why expert-led distribution still matters in an era of influencer overload, how selectivity protects brand equity, and why intuition still matters when data alone can’t explain consumer behaviour.

Inside this episode:

• Why French heritage only matters if consumers still trust it
• Why professional distribution builds trust faster than influencer marketing ever will
• How selectivity protects brand equity (and where brands get it wrong)
• What digital should do in prestige skincare: support expertise, not replace it
• Why expert-led guidance is becoming more valuable as choice overload grows
• The data problem in professional channels and how leaders make decisions anyway
• How to balance innovation with consistency without chasing trends
• Where AI can help (and where it can quietly dilute the brand)

LINKS:

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ABOUT PAYOT:

https://www.payot.com/