When Hannah Stern first stepped into her role as assistant manager of Neutrogena equity and content in 2021, thousands of TikTok users were rubbing frozen cucumbers on their faces. This absurd “skincare hack,” among others plaguing the platform, spurred her to overhaul Neutrogena’s social strategy to combat skincare misinformation, weaving educational insights from the brand’s team of scientists into snappy, entertaining videos. 

Stern helmed the launch of Neutrogena’s “Skin University” campaign, an ongoing TikTok content series that translates scientific skincare concepts into casual and engaging conversations. The initial rollout of the campaign drove more than 46 million impressions and a 16% view-through rate. 

Along with shaping Neutrogena’s social strategy to incorporate the brand’s scientists, and turning online buzz about skincare topics into science-based social content, Stern has also led efforts to “grow love for the brand” through partnerships. Most recently, she facilitated Neutrogena’s first sponsorship of Coachella. She oversaw the creation of several free sunscreen stations that were scattered around the festival, as well as an interactive exhibit showing the various skin layers and how Coachella’s sunny and dry desert setting can potentially damage them. 

“The anecdotes I was hearing at Coachella—people at our tent saying things like ‘Oh, this is such good marketing’ or ‘This is so smart’—that was so special and fulfilling,” Stern said. “And it all tied back to science. It’s all about making learning fun and experiential—something that you want to share with your friends.”