L'ORÉAL: FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE AWARDS
Raising Visibility of a Major Brand's Commitment

L'Oréal is a global cosmetics company and renowned brand throughout the world. The L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science (FWIS) program aims to improve the position of women in science by honoring leading women researchers and recognizing promising young women scientists. With the media rarely interested in awards ceremonies, the challenge was to highlight L'Oréal's commitment to the FWIS program and position the company in the media as a leading supporter of women and their role in advancing the sciences.

While aggressively pitching the news of the ceremony to a targeted list of domestic and international media outlets, the need became clear for compelling materials to tell the story of the FWIS program and the new laureates. In-depth profiles and interviews with the five winners were packaged for the media and served as a basis for pitch letters, personal biographies, and "tips sheets" (which contained practical advice for women seeking to advance in the sciences) tailored for each laureate.

Coverage of the awards ceremony and its laureates ran across the globe in a wide range of outlets including USA Today, Women's Wear Daily, CNN Airport News, Voice of America, Hispanic Radio Network, and India Times. Over the years, the L'Oréal FWIS program has grown to be an internationally recognized program for women in the sciences, generating widespread and positive visibility for the L'Oréal brand.

This program was created by the principals and senior staff of Solomon McCown & Company while we were members of a prior agency co-founded and managed by Helene Solomon.