L’Oréal has had a long-standing commitment to support research and innovation in science, while recognising diversity, equity and inclusion.
Its L’Oréal UNESCO For Women in Science (FWIS) Fellowships have been delivering on this work since launching the fellowship programme starting back in 2007, helping early-career women scientists to consolidate their careers and rise to leadership positions in science.
Our Work
The challenge
To celebrate the announcement of L’Oréal’s 2025 New Zealand recipient, Dr Jamie-Lee Rahiri, a young Māori surgeon, mother and researcher breaking new ground in health equity research in New Zealand, to make surgery safer and more culturally responsive for Māori and Pacific communities.
How we helped
Meeting with L’Oréal key leaders and Dr Jamie-Lee Rahiri to understand how the fellowship supported Jamie-Lee’s research and how the collaboration was being nurtured and developed – not just for the official announcement and related events – but to shape a long-term partnership.
Alongside identifying earned media opportunities, it was about allowing Dr Jamie-Lee to grow more comfortable with interviews with journalists asking about her professional work, her own personal development and enabling her whanau/family to participate in the overall experience.
Intersecting links with Auckland University, Ministry of Health and L’Oréal were also important in showcasing the many ways the fellowship and Dr Jamie-Lee’s research was achieving valuable outcomes.
What we achieved
A range of mainstream and Māori national media outlets published unique stories about Dr Jamie-Lee Rahiri’s fellowship, reaching an audience of more than a million viewers through digital, print and radio channels.
We supported Dr Jamie-Lee in Melbourne, taking along a news media team from New Zealand to film a long-format feature by ‘The Hui,’ which ran on TV3, Stuff (national mainstream digital), Māori TV and YouTube. This was in coordination with L’Oréal’s Australian public relations agency and corporate communications team.
Other earned coverage included a live interview on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme. Coverage also crossed into Radio Waatea (mainstream national radio), University of Auckland and Te Ao, all supplemented by additional social media posts. The Australian Women’s Weekly also commissioned a profile piece with Dr Jamie-Lee being interviewed by Dame Judy Bailey.
https://www.forwomeninscience.com.au/
https://www.loreal.com/en/anz/
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