SK-II, a leading luxury beauty brand in Japan, was experiencing a decline, losing customers to aggressive rivals, and struggling to stay compelling in a changing society. This loss of momentum called for a new strategy that would transform the brand and transcend the competition.

Yue Sai is L’Oreal’s troubled Chinese luxury brand. Alexis Perakis-Valat, the new CEO of L’Oréal China, has made it a point of honor to turn the brand around. He has asked Stéphane Wilmet, the brand’s new general manager, to come up with a turnaround plan that will restore L’Oréal’s reputation in China as the world’s best cosmetic marketer.