Elf, a rapidly growing, community-centered beauty brand, wants to offer its audience more than just makeup.
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Cosmetics brand Elf has grown rapidly in recent years, and international marketing director Anthela Thomas-Evans says part of its success is due to the company seeing itself as more of an “entertainment company” than a beauty business. This is due to the fact that
She said the brand always believes in “beyond the boundaries of traditional beauty” as it helps build stronger, long-term connections with consumers.
As part of its mission to show up and “entertain” consumers wherever they are, Elf became one of the first brands on TikTok, Twitch, Be Real, and more. Thomas Evans explained that this is because the brand wants to engage with the wider public “and not just the beauty community”.
Its latest entertainment venture is the 16-track “Get Ready With Music” album, which will be released later this month.
“The reason we release the album is because a lot of people listen to music when they get ready and it inspires their style for the day. It sets the mood,” she said last week. (October 3) Speaking at Marketing Week’s Festival of Marketing.
It may sound surprising for a beauty brand, but Thomas Evans explained that Elf aims to “disrupt.” She described the brand’s founders as the “OGs of disruption” for their unprecedented desire to sell high-quality premium cosmetics for £1 on the internet.
“This was before Facebook, so it was very disruptive and different,” she added. It’s a sentiment that has sustained the brand through the evolution of entertainment today.
Thomas Evans said that as a brand, they are trying to push the boundaries in terms of how they present themselves. That’s why there is a culture of “fail fast.”
She added: “We have one dream: to be able to test and learn in the market. We allow ourselves to take risks. We go out into the field and figure things out. Challenge yourself and do something big and bold.”
As examples, she points to Elf’s first Super Bowl campaign in 2023 starring Jennifer Coolidge, followed this year by another featuring an octogenarian Judge Judy and some of the cast of Suits. aired a star-studded ad.
But the international marketing director said that in terms of the brand’s marketing strategy, it’s important to “understand what’s expected” in the community and “listen to its performance and pivot if necessary.” He also warned that it is important.
For Elf, “community is at the heart of everything,” explains Thomas Evans.
“In my 20 years in marketing, I don’t think I’ve ever worked in a place where we had executives so close to the community and whose rich insights were literally fed back into our innovation team.”
She added, “Our senior president will be happy to appear on TikTok Live and speak directly to the community.”
She believes this is what makes an elf unique. “We do not just act impulsively, we are rooted in the values of our community and aligned with their world.”