Julie Déjean, the marketing director at Pierre Fabre Australia is a senior marketer with a strong knowledge of the health and beauty industries. After a brief six month stint in marketing and promoting radio stations at Virgin Radio and RFM, Déjean found herself at Pierre Fabre as a junior.
She has since spent just under 15 years with the pharmaceutical company climbing the ranks to MD. Along the way to the top she has honed her skills in brand management, advertising, digital marketing, social media and influencer strategy, project management, PR, events, communication, customer experience, team leadership and people management.
Now into our second season of B&T’s CMOs To Watch, presented by Zenith, Déjean joins the ranks of visionary marketing leaders redefining the playbook. This series celebrates those who balance bold ideas with business impact and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
Sitting down with B&T, Déjean discussed the challenges of reaching consumers whose attention is shrinking in a scroll-first world, navigating a fiercely competitive category, and how yoga helps keep her grounded.
B&T: Let’s get to know you… What three things would you take to a desert island?
Julie Déjean: A book, sunscreen (because when you’re the marketing director of a sunscreen brand, you can’t exactly plead ignorance), and my yoga mat.
B&T: What is your passion outside of work? If you weren’t a CMO, what would you be doing?
JD: I’d be a yoga teacher. Honestly, I’d open a little wellness studio that mixes yoga, pilates, acupuncture, naturopathy — the whole holistic menu. Yoga keeps me grounded and calm… which is useful when your day job is “make people care.”
B&T: What was your favourite campaign of all time?
JD: The Ordinary’s out-of-home. It’s basically the anti-beauty-ad: minimal, text-led, clinical, and funny — and that’s exactly why it cuts through. It feels like the brand in billboard form: no fluff, just the truth (and hyaluronic acid).
And I also love ALDI’s “Good Different” — it makes value feel confident, not apologetic. It’s a simple, sticky platform that turns “discount” into a point of pride.
B&T: Now let’s talk shop. What is your brand’s top priority for the next 12 months?
JD: Keep build awareness and consideration in a brutally crowded beauty market. And do it in a way that feels genuinely relevant for Australians, while staying true to our global/French DNA (without sounding like we’re trying too hard).
B&T: What channel is exciting you the most and how do you split your marketing budgets between long/short and channels mix?
JD: Experiential and OOH. I think both have huge untapped potential — real brand moments people actually feel, and big creative that can’t be skipped. Budget-wise, we balance long-term brand building and short-term performance (because I like impact and paying invoices). Channel mix flexes by audience/product, usually a blend of social and broader reach channels.
B&T: What is the biggest challenge you currently face in the marketplace?
JD: Attention. Or lack of it. Media consumption is fragmented, focus is short, and the scroll is undefeated. Add in intense competition in mass beauty — especially the rise of K-beauty that’s fast, innovative, and very affordable — and you have to work harder to earn every second.
B&T: What are you most excited about in the marketplace?
JD: Holistic beauty. People are moving from “fix my skin” to “support my whole self” — wellness, lifestyle, self-care, the mind–body connection. I love the shift towards the idea that beauty isn’t just topical — it’s built from within.
B&T: Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
JD: Still leading a marketing team that drives meaningful growth — with creativity, culture and purpose at the centre. And location-wise? Somewhere with good coffee and lots of sunshine — ideally both.
B&T: Speaking hypothetically what’s one brand, product or category you’d like to sink your teeth into right now as a marketer?
JD: Fitness and wellness. The category is booming, but it’s also still wide open for brands to create better experiences, better communities, and smarter storytelling.
B&T: Zenith believe there is untapped media potential we need to uncover. What is your prediction for media this year?
JD: Less obsession with scale, more focus on quality attention. I think we’ll see brands becoming more selective — prioritising channels and formats that genuinely engage people, not just reach them. Retail media, CTV and OOH will continue to grow, but with stronger expectations around measurement, effectiveness and real impact, not just visibility.
