e.l.f. Beauty’s Playbook for Digital Disruption: Test and Learns, Data, and Emerging Tech

Get Ready With Music, The Album; Source: e.l.f. Beauty

Beauty moves at the speed of culture, and if you’re not keeping pace with changing consumer trends, you’ve already lost the race.

But it’s a marathon, not a sprint — a concept e.l.f. Beauty has spiritedly embraced, consistently capturing Gen Z and Gen Alpha interest through bold and striking marketing activations that resonate. For the company, it’s about moving at “e.l.f. speed,” chief digital officer Ekta Chopra tells CGT, and that means keeping disruption as part of their DNA. 

Also read: 5 Things To Know About the Lucrative Gen Z Consumer

Gaining a Tech Foothold 

Chopra, who joined the company in 2016 with more than 20 years of tech experience to expand e.l.f.’s digital presence on a global scale, has kept a varied marketing toolset, using technologies and experiential features like augmented reality and the metaverse to meet consumers wherever they are, no matter the format. 

“We’re not afraid to test and learn on new platforms,” says Chopra, adding that e.l.f. was one of the first beauty brands on TikTok, quickly gaining momentum and receiving over 7 billion views for its Eyes Lips Face campaign and respective song. The company has since replicated engagement efforts on other platforms like Twitch and Roblox.  

On Twitch, the company looked to combat a high rate of gender discrimination within the female gaming community (77%) by saying “e.l.f. you” to toxic gaming culture and creating game and beauty content in partnership with female gamers.

e.l.f. was also an early innovator within the now-trendy marketing vehicle of Roblox, entering the platform in 2023 with the launch of “e.l.f. UP!,” which introduced an element of gamification and garnered 16 million visits and a 96%-plus approval rating in less than a year. 

Also read: E.l.f. Tests Out Walmart’s Social Commerce Capability on Roblox