How beauty brand e.l.f. tripled its growth rate through a refreshed marketing strategy

Beauty brand e.l.f. had seen revenues decline and was closing several retail stores, but decided to boost its expenditure on brand building, with impressive results.

Cosmetics brand e.l.f. – an acronym that captures a focus on a consumer’s eyes, lips, and face – needed to make over its marketing style.

The Oakland, California-based enterprise posted a 1% net sales decline in 2018, and then announced the closure of 22 retail stores. One reason for shuttering these brick-and-mortar locations, the company stated, was to invest more heavily in its brand – a move that provided resources for Kory Marchisotto, who became e.l.f CMO in February 2019, to reverse the unfavorable business trends.

“A year ago, things were looking pretty grim at e.l.f.,” Marchisotto admitted to Advertising...

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