The APAC beauty revolution – The Estée Lauder Company, UpSellIt, and Rakuten Advertising shift the paradigm

The Challenge

Premium beauty brands Estée Lauder and MAC faced a critical challenge in the APAC region: drive customer loyalty while retaining full-priced value and brand perception. A heavy reliance on discount-only affiliate strategies was threatening to undermine the premium positioning both brands had worked hard to build.

The Strategy

Partnering with Rakuten Advertising and UpSellIt's AI-powered behavioural platform, the brands implemented sophisticated cart abandonment recovery that maintained premium positioning. The campaign targeted new customers with strategic incentives while engaging existing customers through messaging emphasising complimentary samples, shipping, and exclusive benefits rather than straight discounts.

The Work

The integration of AI and optimisation tools enabled nuanced customer segmentation, creating a clear division of messaging between new and returning audiences. The strategy demonstrated how technology-driven solutions, cultural market insights, and strategic collaboration can transform an affiliate programme from a discount-first approach into a premium customer experience that strengthens rather than compromises brand value.

Results

UpSellIt became The Estée Lauder Companies' third-highest performing publisher and MAC's leading publisher. New customer acquisition rates reached 65% and 75% respectively, delivering exceptional return on ad spend while strengthening rather than compromising brand value.

The Judges' Verdict

This was a strategically bold and sophisticated entry that successfully shifted the standard for luxury brands in the affiliate space. By focusing on premium experiences and behavioural technology rather than traditional discount dependency, the collaboration elevated brand equity while delivering a seamless, market-specific strategy. The integration of AI-enabled customer segmentation was praised as a particularly strong element, enabling a level of messaging nuance that traditional affiliate approaches rarely achieve.

"The collaboration elevated brand equity while delivering a seamless, market-specific strategy."