Hailey Bieber, AI and fast launches: how e.l.f. Beauty is winning

Masters of ScaleFeb 26, 202637 min

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consumer-brands ai-automation product-strategy influencer-marketing pricing-strategy

E.l.f. Beauty CEO Tarang Amin discusses how the company transformed from underdog to beauty disruptor through rapid experimentation, AI-driven community management, and maintaining accessible pricing while partnering with influencers like Hailey Bieber. The conversation explores their test-and-learn culture, direct consumer engagement strategies, and commitment to affordability in a premium-focused industry.

Best moment

12:49· 44sframework

We're constantly trying things and messing up - mistakes since this morning?

“We we are always testing and learning.”

12:49 / 13:33

experience based. We're gonna do some things and we're not afraid. We we are always testing and learning. We're not afraid of failing somewhere and basically learning from it and keep moving. People often ask me what mistakes have you made and my response is usually, you mean since this morning? We're constantly trying things. We're constantly trying, messing up.

Do do you do you find consumers are more loyal to to brands or to retailers or to like influencers these days? Like how do you look at that ecosystem?

Well, I'm a little biased because I spent thirty five years in the consumer branding space. So I I would say it's always about brands and brands can be anything. Some influencers

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Masters of Scale

contrarian take

Why e.l.f. Beauty targets luxury products with $1-3 price points

e.l.f. Beauty's CEO reveals their counterintuitive strategy of creating the best products in beauty at ultra-low price points of $1-3, rather than competing in premium segments. He explains how 75% of their portfolio stays under $10 by design, challenging the assumption that affordable means lower quality.

7:04 - 7:4945s

pricing-strategy beauty-industry affordable-luxury

Masters of Scale

tactical advice

How e.l.f. Beauty uses AI to handle 100% of customer DMs

e.l.f. Beauty's leadership explains their pragmatic approach to AI implementation, focusing on automation that enhances team capabilities rather than replacing human connection. They discuss how AI enables community managers to handle all direct messages and automate repetitive tasks, positioning AI as an enabler for better customer relationships.

12:03 - 12:4239s

ai-automation customer-engagement community-management

Masters of Scale

framework

We're constantly trying things and messing up - mistakes since this morning?

A seasoned consumer brand executive shares their philosophy of constant experimentation and failure as a learning tool. They discuss the rapid pace of testing at their company and weigh in on whether consumers are more loyal to brands, retailers, or influencers in today's market.

12:49 - 13:3344s

experimentation brand-loyalty consumer-behavior

Masters of Scale

Not only was it the most successful launch Dollar General's ever seen, but 60% of the people who buy e. L. F. At Dollar General have never bought cosmetics at Dollar General. So we're happy to be in...

14:49 - 15:2839s

Masters of Scale

tactical advice

Male beauty CEO reveals his secret to understanding female customers

A male CEO in the beauty industry explains how he stays connected to his predominantly female customer base by directly engaging with product reviews and asking open-ended questions. He discusses the unique challenge of running a women-focused business as a man and how customer feedback makes him smarter every day.

18:20 - 19:0646s

customer-engagement product-feedback gender-dynamics

Masters of Scale

contrarian take

CEO explains why DEI isn't just politics - it's competitive advantage

A CEO discusses maintaining commitment to DEI practices despite industry pushback, arguing that diverse teams reflecting the communities they serve create competitive advantages. They acknowledge that while some peers have become quieter on the topic due to external pressures, most leaders fundamentally want the best workforce possible.

24:26 - 25:0842s

diversity-equity-inclusion workforce-strategy competitive-advantage