How Social Transformation™ Redefined Wella’s Global Brand Strategy

Wella needed to develop a unified global social strategy to address inconsistent social performance, limited scalability in content workflows, and a lack of structured advocacy to leverage user-generated content and real-time salon innovation. The goal was to boost engagement, streamline operations, and amplify Wella’s digital presence across diverse markets.

We conducted a comprehensive social brand audit to inform a global Social Transformation™ strategy, recalibrating Wella’s social identity. Key systems were designed for:

• Data & Insights: Provided actionable analytics to guide strategy.

• Content Development & Workflow: Streamlined content production for efficiency.

• Community Management: Enhanced audience engagement and interaction.

• Localization Toolkits: Enabled market-specific adaptations.

• Technology Stack: Supported scalable social delivery and task management.

In the implementation phase:

• Strategy & Always-On Content: Delivered consistent social content to maintain brand presence.

• Digital Campaign Activation: Executed over 20 seasonal product and brand campaigns annually.

• Advocacy via Wella Passionistas: Launched the Wella Passionistas program across 10 markets to connect with user-generated content and salon innovation.

Notable campaigns included #AskForWella, Wella’s first consumer-focused initiative, driving significant salon bookings. Support during tentpole events like New York and London Fashion Weeks included live storytelling and influencer management. The Wella Passionistas program fostered co-creation, enhancing brand advocacy. Ongoing data and analytics provided reports on earned social performance, channel analysis, industry trends, and competitor insights, guiding quarterly strategy reviews for Wella’s Brand, Digital, and PR teams.

Our Social Transformation™ doubled Wella’s engagement rate and significantly amplified its digital presence. The #AskForWella campaign drove a 55% increase in salon bookings in its pilot market. The Wella Passionistas program transformed content production, with Passionista-sourced content accounting for 23% of global social content and user-generated content driving 40%. Earned mentions on Instagram (@wellahair) surged by 2,000%, and social referrals to Wella’s digital destinations (.com, Wella Store, e-education) increased by 600%, establishing a scalable model for sustained global growth.