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Some of the biggest American brands, including Amazon, Meta, Walmart and McDonald’s, have recently changed or ended their diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DEI). But Elf Beauty, a popular cosmetics brand, is a rare company that highlights its inclusive diversity and marketing efforts, like its “So Many Dicks” campaign.
The provocateur advertising campaign Last year, it was pointed out that almost as many men named Richard, Rick or Dick sat on the board of directors of American public enterprises as women.
“There is nothing wrong with being Richard, Rick or Dick, but we wanted to highlight” give others a chance “because we have seen the advantages in our own business,” said Tarang Amin, CEO ‘Elf, in a recent interview. Week with CNN. Elf is one of only two listed companies, the board of directors of which has more than 78 % women and 44 % of people in color.
Elf, which means “eye, lip, face “ And sells at Walmart, Target and Walgreens pleads in favor of diversity efforts at a time when these initiatives are attacked across the country.
Dei, or diversity, equity and inclusionhas become a big word on the right. Many companies are withdraw from dei programs and marketing with a social vocation, fearing to become the Next Bud Light. Bud Light’s mother company, AB INBEV, has lost up to $ 1.4 billion in sales due to the negative reactions aroused by the brief partnership of Bud Light with a transgender influencer.
Other companies have changed the DEI programs in response to the opposition of right -wing activists, to legal proceedings brought by conservative legal groups, at the demand of conservative trend customers and other factors. This week, President Donald Trump also placed employees in all federal offices responsible for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. on leaveAnd the Trump administration plans to target more diversity programs.
But Elf, based in Oakland, California, supports DEI because it has a base of employees and a faithful audience of younger and more diverse consumers who support its efforts.
Comments like “I never liked Elf so much of my life !!! »» poured On Instagram in response to Elf’s “So Many Dicks” campaign. “I am so proud of this brand”, another said. Even if the majority of publications on social networks were positive, support for the campaign was not universal. Some people wondered what relationship between representation to the board of directors of a company and make -up and have said that ELF should “leave policy and your opinions on social issues outside of cosmetics”.
Elf has collected the fruits of its strategy. The company has registered 23 consecutive quarters of growth in sales and shares have increased by more than 700 % in the past five years.
Elf has no dei team, but his commitment to hire a diverse workforce in terms of sex, race, sexual orientation, nationality and other demographic criteria has led to its success, A declared Amin. About 75 % of its 500 employees are women and 40 % are people of color. As part of the Elf diversity and inclusion strategy, the company also presents transgender and non -binary models in its advertisements.
“Various voices actually help us because they bring different perspectives,” said Amin, 59. Companies that abandon their diversity efforts are likely to lose “incredible talents that have different points of view and add prospect to a business”.
Dei is generally a mixture of employee training, resource networks for employees and recruitment practices for anticipated representation From different breeds, sexes and social classes, disabled people, veterans and other under-represented groups. Opponents like Elon Musk claim that the Dei represents an “reverse racism” and have affirmed that the race now prevails over all the qualifications for hiring and promotions.
Companies that have given up the efforts of the DEI “sometimes succumb to pressures” of anti-dei feeling, said Amin. “They react against a single constituency.”
Elf is not likely as many negative reactions of its approach as other brands, as it has a concentrated basis of millenial consumers and generation Z which are more likely to support Dei’s efforts, said Anna Glassgen, analyst which covers the brand at B. Riley Financial.
Women, workers under the age of 30 and employees from minorities are the most likely to say that focusing on Dei at work is a good thing, according to 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center.
“The majority of people who would complain about Elf’s point of view on Dei are not their target consumers,” said Jarvis Sam, former diversity, equity and inclusion at Nike and Founder From The Rainbow Disruption, a Consulting Society. The beauty and cosmetics industry has long been scrutinized for its lack of diversity, and Elf inclusive marketing efforts have made it possible to distinguish the brand from ranges of older and more established beauty products such as Revlon, A -Ali said.
The CEO Amin is also not concerned about negative reactions to Elf efforts, including on the part of right -wing activists like Robby Starbuck.
Starbuck, former director of Hollywood Videoclips who has become a conservative activist, A fired Make campaign online against large companies’ programs and other progressive initiatives. He targeted companies online such as John Deere, Tractor Supply and others and claimed many of the changes they make.
Starbuck would be poorly advised to target Elf’s efforts in diversity, said Amin.
“Our community is very noisy and very loyal, so it would be a mistake on his part to start tweeting on this subject, because they can be quite vicious when people attack their beloved elf,” -It declared.
Despite the changes in certain companies, Amin also said that CEOs and business leaders with which he has maintained themselves are still determined to increase diversity within their companies.
“I think this whole anti-dei affair has a lot to bring,” he said. “I think more people are committed to having a more diverse and inclusive workforce than people who are not.”
Other companies also defend Dei, such as Costco And Apple.
The Costco Board of Directors recently recommended its shareholders to vote against a proposal presented by a conservative reflection group, the National Center for Public Policy Research, which would oblige Costco to account for the financial risks linked to the maintenance of its objectives as diversity and inclusion. The group criticized Costco for a possible “illegal discrimination” against “white, Asian, male or heterosexual” employees.
Costco said its efforts to help the company attract and retain a wide range of employees and improve goods and store services. Costco also said that its members wish to interact with a diversified employee base.
“Among other things, a diversified group of employees contributes to bringing originality and creativity to our offers of goods, thus promoting the” treasure hunt “dear to our customers,” Costco said in its press release. proxy declaration to investors.
Costco “explained the situation well: when they have a more diverse workforce, they see a better commitment,” said Amin. “It’s the same for us.”