With more cosmetics brands betting on the power of the beauty-sports crossover, e.l.f. Beauty stands out among its peers as one of the original disruptors in this space – and it continues to rewrite the script on how to do this successfully and with purpose.
The cosmetics giant has made numerous intentional investments into women’s sports over the past five years, from supporting the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) to recently backing professional race car driver Katherine Legge – all to help advance women athletes.
And being an early disruptor in this space – and showing up for these communities with support and campaigns – has had a positive impact on e.l.f. Beauty’s wider position too, contributing to the brand’s 25 consecutive quarters of sales growth and market share gains.
Beauty and sport [are] one area of the world where communities come together, and community is at the centre of everything we do at e.l.f. Beauty
“When beauty goes right, we go left, truly,” Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Beauty, told Cosmetics Business.
“Democratising access has been a really pivotal point of how we show up every day at e.l.f. Beauty and it is not uncommon for us to look for what we call ‘beauty deserts’ or spaces where no one is showing up – and women in sports was something that we identified five years ago.
“We are really about supporting, nurturing and driving young girls to stay in sports because we know that they drop out at two times the rate of young boys.
“We know if we can get these young girls early on, then they are going to become incredible leaders in the future, so that for us is really the driving force around why we are committed to really building sport.”
Tennis pro Billie Jean King at the second annual Power of Women’s Sports Summit in London, UK
This deep understanding of the rising cultural movement between beauty and women's sports was felt at e.l.f. Beauty’s second annual Power of Women’s Sports Summit in London, UK, yesterday (24 June), with speakers including Portia Archer, CEO of Women’s Tennis Association, and female tennis legend and founder of the Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) Billie Jean King.
The one-day conference highlighted the ongoing journey to achieving gender equality in sports and encouraged attendees to leverage their platforms to create more opportunities for women and girls in sports at all levels.
And the message was clear that e.l.f. Beauty’s support was helping to make an impact, with Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist for Team USA & Captain, Minnesota Frost, Kendall Coyne Schofield, commenting on the brand’s PWHL partnership: “e.l.f. Beauty has brought in girls to come see the game.
“They want to make the game more accessible to the next generation.”
e.l.f. Beauty co-hosted the event with the BJKC – the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sports founded by King – which the beauty company became the exclusive skin and cosmetic partner of last year in a multi-year deal.
e.l.f. Beauty is the exclusive skin and cosmetic partner of the Billie Jean King Cup
A perfect synergy
A move into sports seemed logical to e.l.f. Beauty five years ago as it was in the spirit of changing the conversation, something the fast beauty brand says is deep in its DNA.
“The crossover is very natural,” says O’Keefe.
“Beauty and sport [are] one area of the world where communities come together, and community is at the centre of everything we do at e.l.f. Beauty.
“We listen to our community and they tell us what they are looking for, and when you lead with purpose, humour and make them a part of it, then it is a winning formula.
“And why is that important?
We are really about supporting, nurturing and driving young girls to stay in sports because we know that they drop out at two times the rate of young boys
“It is important because we want to be able to co-create
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