Clinique's Truth Over Trend Strategy With Christie Sclater

What does it take to lead a legacy beauty brand in a world obsessed with trends? 

In this episode of Marketing Vanguard, Clinique’s svp of global marketing Christie Sclater shares how staying true to the skincare brand’s roots in dermatological science helps it cut through the noise. 

From her days at Apple to her personal experience with skin conditions, Christie opens up about leading with purpose, building authentic influencer relationships, and bringing humanity to every marketing touchpoint.

At Clinique, Christie Sclater blends deep personal insight with decades of brand strategy experience. Previously, she worked at Apple and in healthcare, always focused on elevating the customer experience.

Living with psoriasis and rosacea herself, Christie brings heart to her work—and believes the best marketing starts with asking what really matters to people.

Unlocking the Creator Economy with Awin

Did you know influencer marketing drives twice as many sales as display advertising, with a 37% higher retention rate? 

Awin helps brands harness this potential with tailored influencer management solutions that drive measurable results. Whether you’re looking to grow your creator roster, foster long-term relationships, or track full-funnel performance, Awin’s expertise and platform integrations make it easy to scale campaigns and optimize impact.

With partnerships across CreatorIQ, LTK, ShopMy, and more, brands gain access to powerful discovery tools and seamless tracking capabilities, ensuring transparency and efficiency at every stage.

Here’s how brands can maximize their influencer marketing:

• Find the right creators: Access a diverse network of influencers, even in niche markets.
• Track performance with full transparency: Measure impact from awareness to conversions in real time.
• Incentivize influencers effectively: Commission-based rewards through affiliate links and coupon codes keep creators engaged.
• Blend influencer & affiliate marketing seamlessly: Awin’s integrations create a streamlined, results-driven approach.

Unlock the full potential of influencer market

Episode highlights:

[00:51] Clinique’s Founding Story and Core Values — Christie explains how Clinique started with a unique combination: “Clinique was founded in 1968. It was founded by a dermatologist and a beauty editor, which is an unusual combination, but the best combination because it brought together clinical science with sort of a timeless style and elegance.” She talks about how the brand has always focused on consistency in skincare routines.

[02:46] The Truth Over Trend Approach — Christie describes what sets Clinique apart in today’s market: “When you come to Clinique, whether it’s at our counter or online or how we show up on TikTok or how we show up on Instagram, you’re always going to get truth over trend. We’re gonna give you the education that you need to help you figure out what’s right for you.”

[07:50] Finding Your Purpose in Work — Christie shares advice for finding meaningful career paths: “I think the first and most important thing is you have to know yourself, and you have to know your values, and you have to know what’s important and what’s not because no one else can tell you that, and a lot of people will try.” She mentions the powerful advice to “follow what breaks your heart” when looking for work that matters.

[09:54] Career Transition from Apple to Beauty — On her move from Apple to Clinique: “I was actually at Apple before coming to the Estee Lauder companies and having one of those moments where you kind of sit back and you’re like, ‘OK. What’s the next chapter for me?’ And I reflected, and I kid you not, the next morning, got the phone call to come on over. And it was like, when you get that feeling of the clouds have just parted.”

[14:06] Building Real Influencer Partnerships — Christie explains Clinique’s approach to working with creators: “First and foremost, authenticity. Authenticity is the most important thing because no one’s going to believe you, especially in the world today if that’s not a true authentic love and usage.”

[21:26] The Coaching Leadership Style — When asked about her leadership approach: “I’m the coach. Right? Like, I’m not the striker. I’m not the goalie. I’m there to build and grow a team that does amazing things, that delivers remarkable results.”