10 Takeaways for CMOs from the Health, Beauty & eCommerce Summit 2025
From sachets of self-worth to AI-generated scent pairings, the Health, Beauty & eCommerce Summit in London delivered a masterclass in modern brand building. But beyond the beauty buzzwords and platform debates, one big truth rang out:
The brands winning today aren’t channel-obsessed. They’re customer-obsessed.
Whether you’re a legacy player or a challenger brand, the takeaway is clear: Listen. Adapt. Tell better stories. Here’s what stood out most to me – and why CMOs and senior marketing leaders should care.
1. Storytelling Sells – Especially When It Smells Like Nostalgia
Brand: Jo Malone London
From Raspberry Ripple to lavender blends from Provence, Jo Malone is bottling “newstalgia” and reminding us that scent is deeply personal, emotional – and above all, storytelling. Their campaign with Mary Berry, scent-layering tools, and even a generative AI fragrance matcher prove that sensory branding is evolving to be both high-tech and high-touch.
Key CMO Insight:
Emotions are a growth engine. Whether it’s JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) candles or seaside-scented memories, brands that connect memory with mood drive deeper engagement and loyalty.
2. Ditch Trend-Chasing. Build With Your Community.
Brand: Absolute Collagen
Their roadmap isn’t shaped in a boardroom – it’s shaped by their “Absoluters.” Product development, influencer partnerships (hello, Emma Willis), and even offline activations are co-created with customers. Every sachet is a story, every story is a sales driver.
Key CMO Insight:
In the age of AI and UGC, real relationships beat reach. Feedback loops and community storytelling are the new product-market fit.
3. Personalization Isn’t About Names – It’s About Needs
Brand: Klaviyo
Sure, you can still personalize an email greeting, but true relevance starts with journey mapping. Klaviyo reminded us that everyone experiences your website differently and the post-visit journey must match their preferences, platform, and pace.
Key CMO Insight:
Personalization isn’t a checkbox, it’s a competitive edge. Build ecosystems that adapt to behavior, not just demographics.
4. Complexity Isn’t the Enemy – Confusion Is
Brand: Deciem (The Ordinary, Niod)
Deciem champions clarity over oversimplification. Through guided diagnostics, product education, and beauty advisor empowerment, they’ve made complex formulations feel empowering, not overwhelming.
Key CMO Insight:
Consumers are smarter than you think. If your product is complicated, invest in better storytelling – not dumbing it down.
5. Radical Simplicity Can Still Be Strategic
Brand: One Good Thing
Instead of over-customizing, this brand builds with clear audience targeting (runners, cyclists), focused content, and clean journeys. The result? High order values and low friction.
Key CMO Insight:
Not every journey needs a quiz. Sometimes strategic simplicity creates a better brand experience than hyper-personalization.
6. Repositioning Can Turn Utility Into Emotion
Brand: Lumie
By reframing their light therapy devices as wellness essentials, not just medical tools, Lumie is elevating necessity into lifestyle. Their investment in Klaviyo-powered journeys, educational quizzes, and SEO-primed AI content proves they’re playing the long game.
Key CMO Insight:
Brand perception is a lever for margin. Find the emotional benefit in your product—and build the customer journey around it.
7. Vulnerability Is the New Authority
Brand: Here We Flo
In an industry plagued by greenwashing, Flo leads with radical transparency. They publish full ingredient lists, own the complexity of sustainability, and communicate with unfiltered vulnerability.
Key CMO Insight:
Transparency isn’t a tactic – it’s trust. CMOs must stop polishing and start revealing. Especially in industries with regulatory grey areas.
8. Purpose Should Be a Launch Gate, Not a Backstory
Brand: Rude Health
This B Corp refuses to launch a product unless it meets all four of its internal sustainability pillars. For them, purpose isn’t a campaign – it’s a supply chain decision.
Key CMO Insight:
Don’t tack sustainability on post-launch. Bake it in. Your procurement and product teams are just as critical to brand as your agency.
9. Social Is Driving Conversion, Not Just Awareness
Brand: Trip
After launching a new flavor on TikTok, Trip became the #1 NPD in Waitrose. Their strategy? Relatable creators, mission-aligned partnerships (with Calm), and deep DTC storytelling.
Key CMO Insight:
The TikTok halo effect is real. But conversion requires more than views – it requires values and strategic distribution.
10. Feedback Isn’t Failure. It’s Fuel.
Brand: Welcome to Bob
After being dragged in reviews for lack of lather, Bob reformulated its body wash and saw a 15% retention increase. Their obsession with 1-star reviews, weekly customer deep dives, and even watching men shower (really) proves that listening isn’t a phase. It’s a culture.
Key CMO Insight:
Bad reviews aren’t brand damage, they’re data with a heartbeat. Treat feedback like a founder would. Then act on it.
Final Thought:
Whether it’s fragrance, food, or femcare, the blueprint is clear: Put the customer at the heart of the journey, then build the story around them. The best brands at the summit weren’t just selling, they were sensing, shaping, and storytelling with every touchpoint.
That’s the kind of marketing CMOs need to champion in 2025 and beyond.
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