AEMPS

Analysis of the Impact of L'Oréal's Scarcity Marketing on Brand Premium Capability

Author

Jinwen Qi * 1

1 Beijing Jiaotong University

Corresponding Author

Jinwen Qi

Keywords

Scarcity marketing, L'Oréal, brand premium, consumer behaviour

Abstract

Some high-end cosmetic brands have begun to use scarcity marketing in recent times to create a sense of urgency for consumers and boost the demand for their products. L'Oréal Paris is a well-known mass-market beauty brand, and this paper will investigate how scarcity marketing devices, such as holiday-limited gift sets, joint-brand drop collaborations, and time-limited flash sales, affect its brand premium capacity. Time-limited and quantity-restricted offers can increase the demand for purchase by creating a sense of urgency (FOMO) and making the limited items more desirable social status symbols in the short run. However, this study has also shown some serious long-term problems: frequent alterations in the surface packaging, a deviation from L'Oréal's core scientific identity, and controversial "faux-scarcity" behaviour will inevitably lead to scarcity fatigue and a loss of consumer trust. To address the above problems and avoid the controversy of an "IQ tax", this paper proposes some feasible optimisation directions: align scarcity campaigns with the company's core values, innovate experiential scarcity through digital integration, and build a transparent tiered pricing system. In short, the above measures can help beauty brands continuously use the concept of scarcity to build brand value without damaging the brand image.

Citation

Jinwen Qi. Analysis of the Impact of L'Oréal's Scarcity Marketing on Brand Premium Capability. AEMPS (2026) Vol. 298. DOI: 10.54254/2754-1169/2026.GT36938.

References

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