Every customer comes with a different story. Some buy because of price, some because of style, others because a brand matches their values. If you treat them as one big group, your message becomes too broad and often misses the mark.

This is where consumer typologies come in. A typology is just a way of putting people into groups that make sense for your business. You look at who they are, how they behave, and what drives their choices. Done well, it helps a brand speak to different kinds of people in ways that feel personal.

Plenty of companies try it. Only a few get it right. This blog explores the segmentation strategy of  L’Oréal.

Why L’Oréal Stands Out

L’Oréal could have taken the easy road and said, “We’ll target women between 18 and 30.” But that is too flat, too general. Instead, they dug deeper. Working with Google and McCann, the brand created a much richer picture of young people, especially Gen Z and Millennials.

They asked simple but powerful questions:

• What inspires this group when they choose beauty products?
• Do they care about trends?
• Do they care about sustainability?
• Are they just looking for good value every day?

The answers gave them three very different types of consumers.

The Typologies in Action

The trendsetters: These are people who live online, follow influencers, and want the next new thing. For them, L’Oréal pushed bold, fashion-driven campaigns with lots of energy and style.

The conscious shoppers: They want products that match their values, sustainable packaging, cruelty-free, safe ingredients. To reach them, L’Oréal highlighted eco-initiatives and clear sourcing.

The value seekers:  Not everyone wants to spend big. Some just want something reliable at a fair price. For them, the brand put forward messages around trust, accessibility, and affordability.

Same age group, very different mindsets. By treating them as separate typologies, L’Oréal could talk to each in their own language.

How They Scaled It

It is one thing to create these groups but it is another to actually run campaigns for each of them. L’Oréal made it work because they used digital platforms to deliver the right message to the right people. Google’s insights helped them know who was watching. McCann built the creative variations.

As a result? Trendsetters got bold campaigns. Conscious shoppers saw messages about values. Value seekers saw affordable offers. Each group felt like the brand understood them.

Why This Worked

It went beyond surface labels like “young women” and looked at motivation. It was practical and the typologies shaped real ads, not just strategy decks. Personalisation was possible at a global level making it scalable.

And most important, it showed respect. Instead of forcing one big message on everyone, L’Oréal recognised that people want to be seen for who they are.

Closing Thought

A clever customer typology does not create categories for the sake of it, but living, breathing groups that change how a brand speaks and acts.

L’Oréal’s case reminds us that segmentation is not about slicing people into neat boxes. It is about listening, noticing patterns, and then responding in ways that feel relevant. That is when typologies stop being theory and start creating real impact.