Professional Documents
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The leader of the iconic British brand shares what he’s learnt about the role
of innovation and sustainability in transforming a business and creating a
better world.
David Boynton had his work cut out for him when he joined The Body Shop as CEO in 2017.
Following the £652.3 million sale of the business to French cosmetics giant L’Oreal ten years
earlier, the brand had suffered backlash and boycotts from those who felt it had moved too
far away from the ethical principles on which it was founded.
When sales fell by five per cent to €921 million in 2016, and its operating profit declined by
38 per cent during the same period, L’Oreal cut its losses and sold the business to the
purpose-driven, global beauty group, Natura &Co. Boynton took the helm of the battered
business shortly after, tasked with reinventing its strategy, execution, and growth in more
than 65 markets worldwide.
The challenge was not small. How could the brand known for its ethical products,
environmentally friendly practices, and social activism once more find its place in the world
– at a time when it had never been more greatly needed?
Today, The Body Shop is a proud B Corp, making headlines for the right reasons. It has
pledged to be completely vegan by 2030, as well as making 100 per cent of its packaging
materials either recyclable, reusable, or compostable in the same timeframe. It is also
tapping into its social justice roots: last month, it launched an interactive ‘activist workshop’
store in Doha, replete with refill stations and an activism hub, where people can campaign
for social change on issues including gender equality and fighting cosmetic animal testing.
Here, we speak to Boynton about the transformation of The Body Shop under his leadership,
and what he’s learnt about innovation and sustainability along the way.
S1
Strategic Leadership Skills – Assessment Case Study, Task Three (40%)
Working with the team back in 2017 to reignite a sense of purpose for The Body Shop, and
to be much clearer about the kind of choices that we needed to make to succeed today and
in the future.
When I first joined the business, I immediately noticed a cultural mismatch between the
brand and its previous owner. Everything seemed totally misaligned to what I thought The
Body Shop should stand for – and had stood for when Anita Roddick founded it.
So, the first thing I did was to kick off a piece of work to define our ‘North Star’ – what it was
we were supposed to be doing. We shelved all the new, shiny products that had been
developed so we could focus on this important job. We knew our purpose should be aligned
with activism, being a campaigning brand, being prepared to put our heads above the
parapet, and ensuring nobody gets left behind.
Ultimately, we landed on a phrase: “The Body Shop exists to fight for a fairer, more beautiful
world.” And although that phrase has since leaked out into the wider public, that was never
the intention. It was meant to be more like Fight Club – it was there in your heart, but you
never needed to say it out loud.
Our next job was to challenge ourselves to be the most modern and relevant version of who
we were back in 1976, when we were founded. And this forced a whole series of challenges,
which required innovation.
S2
Strategic Leadership Skills – Assessment Case Study, Task Three (40%)
stuff. We hope to add another 400 stores this year, and be in all stores in the first quarter of
2023. We also made the decision to give customers a price advantage for refills, which
appears to be working. We’re seeing a higher rate of repurchase and refills than we see in
our standard plastic shower gels.
S3
Strategic Leadership Skills – Assessment Case Study, Task Three (40%)