Oakland-based e.l.f. Beauty embraces DEI, and you won't believe its ad campaign

e.l.f.'s "So Many Dicks" ad campaign launched in June 2024. Ad seen at World Trade Center’s Oculus in New York City.

While many major retailers have rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Oakland-based cosmetics giant e.l.f. Beauty has remained steadfast in its commitment to equitable representation.

The brand, which promotes itself as a clean, quality, and affordable makeup and skincare line, began in 2004. 

Its headquarters is in the historic Old Oakland downtown neighborhood of the city.    

Elf liquid eyeliner arranged in Germantown, New York, US, on Monday, July 17, 2023.  (Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

What we know:

Last year, e.l.f. rolled out a bold campaign called "So Many Dicks" to demonstrate the disproportionate number of men compared to the number of women and minority groups in lead positions of companies. 

"When we looked at the overall board population, there were more men named Richard, Rick, or Dick (Dicks) serving on these public company boards than entire groups of underrepresented people," a company spokesperson told KTVU in an email correspondence.

The company added that the campaign is intentional in noting that there’s nothing "wrong with being a Dick, but we’d like to expand the pool to make room for everyone else."

The "So Many Dicks" campaign is part of e.l.f’s "Change the Board Game" initiative launched in May.

Local perspective:

 e.l.f. Chairman and CEO Tarang Amin said the company seeks to represent its Oakland roots. 

"It’s our commitment to both reflect – and delight – the community we serve. We love that Oakland is so diverse in its population but also in its thinking," Amin said. "We’re now a global company so diverse voices are more important to our business than ever."

By the numbers:

The beauty and cosmetic line said that out of roughly 4,000 publicly traded companies in the country, its board of directors is one of only two to be at least 78% women and 44% diverse.

e.l.f. Beauty rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on March 18, 2024. (e.l.f. Beauty)

Broader figures from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that in 2022, among the approximately 5.9 million U.S. employer firms, 1.3 million (22.6%) were minority-owned. About 1.3 million (22.3%) were owned by women.

The current climate

e.l.f. said that its commitment to diversity and inclusivity is not a political stance that is influenced by who is in the White House, rather, it's a part of the foundation on which the company has been built.

"We are a 21-year-old company that has built positivity, inclusivity and accessibility into our ethos since Day 1," Amin shared. "Our approach isn’t different today than it was then, although the conversation around it has certainly evolved." 

The CEO also stressed that the model has proven to be a successful framework for business. 

"Authenticity is important to us, so we spend our time listening to the community instead of chasing trending positions," he said. "The approach has served us well as we’ve now reported 23 quarters of net-sales and market-share growth."

Big picture view:

The company said it worked with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University on research to back up its beliefs that inclusivity plays an important role in a good business model.

 Among their findings:

  • Women on boards correlate to better price-to-earnings ratios.
  • Boards with three or more women and/or minorities have a lower likelihood of large-scale discrimination lawsuits.

Retail partnerships

Dig deeper:

KTVU asked if the company planned to change any of its relationships with retail outlets that have announced a roll-back in its DEI initiatives like Target and Walmart.

SEE ALSO: Costco defends DEI policies even as others scale back

"Absolutely not," the CEO said, adding that those retailers have been integral partners. "Our mission is to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face and cannot fulfill that mission without Target and Walmart."

The company said its foundational mission has resonated with the community it serves, and said it's found its business approach has resulted in attracting more clientele.

"Our community knows what they are going to get from us: positivity, inclusivity and accessibility," Amin said. "That commitment has certainly struck a chord as we are seeing overwhelming support from our community – and some new-to-e.l.f. enthusiasts too – with our emphasis on the importance of diverse voices."

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