Kory Marchisotto’s Post

When you force multiply with kindred spirits, you can reach unexpected new frontiers 🚀✨ There is a lot I admire about Amazon. While I could bore you with a very long list, I will instead share what stands out most for me: ✨Customer obsession ✨Embracing change ✨Continuous reinvention Digital natives on a journey to disrupt norms, Amazon and E.L.F. BEAUTY have been blasting off in recent weeks, taking our partnership to the next e.l.f.ing level: 🚀Launched the exclusive Keys Soulcare theme on all Amazon Alexa devices, bringing Alicia Keys’ voice into the homes of Echo users. 🚀Gloriously glowed up Amazon Lockers in the 🇺🇸 & 🇬🇧, wrapping them with Bronzing Drops. 🚀Created a constellation by linking our Amazon community directly to our Beauty Squad loyalty program sign-up page. Speaking of customer obsession, our Beauty Squad loyalists now count over 5 million users. As a thank you to our community, we are adding bonus points to Beauty Squad members who shop on Amazon. We share in Amazon’s customer obsession and continue to be inspired by how they fluidly embrace change and continuously reinvent themselves to usher in the future in the now. We are excited about these GIANT LEAPS and look forward to boldly going where neither of us have gone before on the journey forward. 👏Mad props to Melis del Rey and the entire beauty team for making Amazon the #1 beauty shopping destination in the U.S. Congratulations on 20 years of beauty transformation 🎉 👏Mad props to the inimitable Jonathan Lum who continues to e.l.f.ing amaze 🤩

The era of brand is not over, but the era of the ivory tower is. I believe the distance between the C-suite and the community is a forward looking indicator of brand health. The shorter the distance, the greater the likelihood of success. At e.l.f., we create the cultural conditions necessary for innovation to thrive, unleashing our superpowers at the speed of culture – all while keeping our community at the center of EVERYTHING we do. Our brand is continuously evolving, from our products to our marketing approach to our org design, to best serve the needs, wants and desires of our continuously evolving community. And you know what Dr. Marcus Collins, author of “For the Culture” (a must read) says about brands evolving: make each day a new one... or die. Hot off the heels of our speaking session at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Marcus and I joined the WARC Podcast. We dove deeper into “why brand isn’t dead.” In fact, for those that put community at the center of their universe, brand is alive and well and thriving. e.l.f.’s 21 consecutive quarters of sales growth and market share gains is proof of that. When you invest in the brand, you make a commitment to showcase to the world who your brand is and who the people standing behind your brand are. We believe that when e.l.f. citizens feel included, valued, encouraged, and empowered, that’s where the magic happens. In a time where the ivory tower of brand is no longer, you must keep evolving or risk being left behind. 👂Give this episode a listen to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gZABZuas

Beauty that breaks boundaries… sign me the e.l.f. up 🙋♀️ We are revolutionizing the industry once again by being the first beauty brand to test real-world commerce on Roblox through our game, e.l.f. UP! 🚀 In our mission to disrupt norms, we have found new avenues in commerce while co-creating with our digital community for a meaningful cause. Our e.l.f. UP! experience on Roblox, which just surpassed 13 MILLION visits (🤯), now features a virtual kiosk where users aged 13 and up can purchase exclusive physical products directly from the game. 🌟 e.l.f. UP! has been lightning in a bottle since day one: ⚡️96% positivity rating since launch ⚡️over one million free virtual items have been given away ⚡️empowers users to become successful entrepreneurs and cultural changemakers, focusing on causes they care about 💖 To further celebrate this moment, we have released a limited-edition e.l.f. UP! Pets Hoodie celebrating our cruelty-free commitment. The Hoodie features one of the beloved virtual pets from our experience😻 🐾 Plus, we're donating $50,000 to The Humane Society of the United States to further support animal welfare 🐾 We're excited to continue breaking new ground on Roblox making shopping immersive, 3D, and social. The future of shopping is here, and it's bright, bold, and beautiful with e.l.f.! 🌟

“Things are not the way they are, they are the way we are.” Dr. Marcus Collins Chew on that for a beat 🤔 Everything Marcus says makes me pause and reflect. He has that impact on people. I had the great privilege of a front row seat at his mainstage keynote at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Here is a tasting menu of his words of wisdom: ✨”A brand is a mark of ownership.” ✨”A brand is an identifiable signifier that conjures up thoughts and feelings about a company product or person.” ✨”A brand is a vessel of meaning.” ✨”Branding today is more important than ever before because it’s harder than ever to differentiate products from one another.” ✨”The era of brand is not over but it has evolved.” ✨”Brand evolution is the byproduct of increasing expectations. People want more.” ✨”The most powerful brands subvert the way we think about branding.” ✨”Awareness is table stakes.” ✨”Most products are parity. When there is no difference between products the association of the brand is the differentiator. The Brand soul is what rises above. Not because of what it is but because of who we are.” ✨”Talk about a point of view of the world. Brands have a point of view about the world. The identity of the brand and that of the people as they see the world similarly.” ✨”Music can be seen as a cultural production of the ideology you collectively believe in.” ✨”Transcend category and value proposition to reach an ideological level.” Marcus = 🖐️🎤 What resonates most with you ? Share in the comments 👇

What do Scott Galloway, Mike Cessario, Noel Mack, and Kory Marchisotto have in common…? 🤔 We’ve all been guests of Jon Evans on his brilliant MUST LISTEN podcast, Uncensored CMO👂 I am grateful to Jon for exploring “the good, the bad and the downright ugly truth about marketing theory and practice”. I am a big fan of the podcast and grateful for all it continues to teach me. Jon is a bold disruptor with a kind heart himself. It is not easy to stand out in a crowded space – believe me I know! A host can make all the difference and Jon has a unique talent. He makes his guests feel comfortable. That sense of familiarity opens the conversation to flow with ease. That is what makes this podcast so special. Jon knows how to bring the best out of his guests to best serve his audience. And it’s a darn good time too ! In this episode, we peeled back the layers of how we stand out as a challenger brand with a record breaking 21 consecutive quarters of growth, propelling us to $1 billion in net sales. Some of the truths behind our success: ✨We invest in our people first and create the cultural conditions necessary for people to thrive and be their best e.l.f. ✨We have a disruptive and disciplined marketing engine, strategically calibrating our investment over the last 5 years from 6% to 25% of net sales, by leaning into what works and leaning out of what doesn’t. ✨We are more than a beauty brand; we inspire, empower, entertain, and advocate for what is right. ✨We are our community’s best friend 👯♀️ I also share my personal success formula that I have expanded over time to become the 5 C’s: Curiosity Courage Creativity Conviction Community I encourage you all to not only listen to my episode but all episodes of Uncensored CMO. The podcast has taught me so much and I am sure you will feel the same. 👂https://lnkd.in/g2wevxzB

Let the Lions roar 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁 "If there’s one thing the male-dominated investment world dislikes more than women, it’s missing out on profits.” – Pink Chip Pink Chip you have our attention, and I am incredibly inspired by the work you are doing to reframe market bias as a missed investment opportunity. E.L.F. BEAUTY is a like-minded bold disruptor making the case that inclusivity within an organization – from the highest seats of power to new hires – is good for business. Pink Chip started as an idea by DEGIRO, Europe’s largest investment app, to draw attention to the bias of investors against female leaders and is now the first-ever live index to track the performance of women-led businesses. 😳 SURVEY SAYS 😳 -Four in five investors are men, and research showed their bias against female leaders. - When female leaders were appointed, investors sold, causing stocks to drop by 2-3%. - Only 7% of global CEOs are women, despite the fact that they tend to offer better returns. Pink Chip used AI software to create a list of public companies with female leaders. To make the point even stronger, all featured companies have a market capitalization of over $2B, a choice designed to constrain the universe of the index, and have demonstrated revenue growth of at least 8% over the last three years. 🤩 THE RESULTS 🤩 ✨http://Pinkchip.org saw over 70,000 visitors within its first week. ✨By week three, over 14,500 DEGIRO users invested in Pink Chip companies. ✨Those companies saw a 6.7% stock price increase while the index climbed 9.48%. ✨Pink Chip outperformed market benchmarks by 80%. ✨They partnered with UN Women NL and drove over 58 million online impressions. ⚡️As the market took notice, the flood of interest crashed the DEGIRO app! While we were at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity talking about our Change the Board Game and So Many Dicks movement, Pink Chip was sweeping the awards with a total of FIVE LIONS and walking away with a gold Glass Lion! Some call it kismet; I call it colliding constellations ✨✨✨ 👏Roaring congrats and 🙏 roaring gratitude to Tesa Aragones and every exceptional human behind Pink Chip. 🏃♀️Learn more about Pink Chip here and spread the word 📣: https://www.pinkchip.org/

Alexa, give me an affirmation! In the true nature of accessibility, we are proud that Keys Soulcare is the first beauty brand to bring an immersive soulful experience through Amazon Alexa. This first-of-its-kind activation is an exciting step in our mission to honor the connection between skin and soul, and help people create empowering beauty rituals that nurture their whole selves. As humans, we are constantly being pulled in different directions and we often prioritize other things above what is most important, ourselves. Taking a moment for our minds, bodies and souls gives us the fuel to stay grounded and harness our own power. When we created Keys Soulcare with Alicia Keys, we centered the brand’s philosophy around caring for the whole self — inside and out, skin and soul. Through rituals and affirmations, the brand goes beyond beauty. What I have picked up on this journey with Alicia, and turned into a habit, are daily affirmations. This simple practice of starting your day by speaking kindly to yourself in the mirror has unlocked new superpowers within me. Alicia exudes life, light and energy wherever she goes, and with Alexa, Alicia can connect with our community in positive and authentic ways. The millions of Echo device users can now invite Alicia into their homes, bringing positive energy and good vibes through inspiring words, music, beauty and skincare tips narrated by Alica herself. As Alicia says, "There is so much power in a voice – and this experience puts time in your day to take care of you while having some fun." There’s no better way to start your day than with an empowering daily affirmation. Courtesy of Alexa, you can wake up with Alicia as she reminds you that you own your power, have permission to glow and deserve to nourish your soul on a daily basis. Ask Alexa! Here’s just a few of the questions you can get answered from Alexa once the Keys Soulcare theme is enabled: “Alexa, find my skincare ritual” “Alexa, give me an affirmation” “Alexa, get ready with Soul” “Alexa, give me a Soulcare tip” “Alexa, what time is it?” “Alexa, set a 9:00 am yoga alarm” “Alexa, set a 30-minute self-care timer” “Alexa, remind me to reflect every day” “Alexa, shop for Keys Soulcare” From now until the end of August, try it out by saying "Alexa, enable the Keys Soulcare theme" and get ready to awaken your light from the inside out ✨✨✨

Name a CEO whose mission is wealth creation for his employees and their families. I’ll wait 😊 At E.L.F. BEAUTY our vision is to create a different kind of company. The realization of that vision is only made possible by a different kind of CEO. And that 🦄 CEO is Tarang Amin. The first time I encountered Tarang at a WWD event in 2017, I could feel it in my soul that he was creating something special that I wanted to be a part of. I was captivated by his humility and drawn to his humanity. That was a catalyst of change for me, one I did not fully realize at the time would change my entire universe just two years later. I joined e.l.f. in 2019, learning firsthand what it means to be on Tarang’s command deck. I’ve come to realize that he built the company of the future in the now, starting from the inside out. His commitment is always people first. He puts rigor and discipline into creating the cultural conditions necessary for people to thrive. Simply put, Tarang powers the people. Our culture and our high-performance teamwork stems from the way Tarang has shaped our company. He believes that every e.l.f. should benefit from our collective success. Tarang had always felt the system of traditional business was upside-down. The so called “Ivory Tower” where people at the bottom work hard to make the people at the top lots of money, needed to be flipped right-side up. So when he became CEO, he focused his energy on creating a passionate team of owners. HOW THE E.L.F DOES HE DO THAT? In much the same way e.l.f. democratized beauty, making the best of beauty accessible to EVERY eye, lip and face, Tarang democratized equity, making meaningful equity accessible to EVERY employee. e.l.f. grants equity to EVERY employee, EVERY year. Since our IPO, e.l.f. has granted over $179 million in equity to our employee base (less than 500 e.l.f.z), excluding our c-suite, on a stock that has delivered 12X. Our stock continues to be one of the best performing stocks on the NYSE, increasing by over 1500% in the last 5 years alone (FY19-FY24). It is not lost on any e.l.f. that Tarang includes a handwritten note with every equity letter. This is in addition to a themed weekly note to all employees and a commitment to personally match donations to the organizations his employees care about ♥️ And of course, he curated a board of directors that is 2/3 women and 1/3 diverse 🖐️🎤 It comes as no surprise to me that Tarang has been honored as one of Barron's Top CEOs 👏 There is no place like e.l.f. because there is no CEO like Tarang Amin 🦄 Congratulations Tarang, it is a privilege to not only work alongside you but also to call you a mentor and a friend. Read more about Barron's Top CEO list here: https://lnkd.in/gM7EBV3S Read more about how “Tarang Amin Built a Beauty-Products Empire at e.l.f.” here: https://lnkd.in/giQD_VeP

Winning is good. Knowing you challenged yourself and everyone around you to be better, think bigger and push every limit to reach a new level of excellence FEELS good.   People cheer the win at the 1,000th strike that finally cracks open the stone 😅 And while we should revel in that moment of triumph, we should equally celebrate the 999 hits that came before it 🪓 The 999 things that had to be true for that moment to be true is where the real magic lies. For it is not the win itself, but rather the muscle memory underneath the win that will lead to the next triumph. The collaboration between E.L.F. BEAUTY and Liquid Death was my favorite path - the path of most resistance. And I mean RESISTANCE.   It took the collective power of all 5 C’s to bring Corpse Paint to life: 🪓CURIOSITY Spending time with things you don’t know. The quench for the unknown led me to murder my thirst in all things Liquid Death. Everything about this brand inspires: their renegade spirit, their anti-conformity, their disdain for the status quo, their uncompromising discipline. I began studying Mike Cessario. 🪓COURAGE The more I learned about the brand, and more importantly the bad ass mother f*ckers behind it, the more I wondered if we were cool enough, disruptive enough, funny enough, clever enough or daring enough to share the same space. I bravely powered through my insecurity and pursued them with tenacity. 🪓CONVICTION The path to yes was not linear. Our yes energy was counteracted by their no energy. And yet, we pursued them relentlessly. For well over a YEAR. Like a stalker. 🪓COMMUNITY I knew exactly the bolt of ⚡️ I needed, Peter Pham. He led me to Daniel Murphy. We got to know each other better through our PTTOW!community. I then went down to Venice Beach with Patrick O'Keefe to break bread with Dan and convince him that we were the ones. Dan then brought Andy Pearson and team to the table. We (finally) won them over. 🪓CREATIVITY A Corpse Paint collection in a ⚰️ launched on a random Tuesday in March. Black metal. Glothar. Vegan goats blood. We weren’t just disrupting norms, we were pushing them over the cliff. With the right pushing and pulling, we landed right at the edge without going over. And that’s a glorious, exhilarating feeling.   You only grow if you stretch, personally and professionally. Death to the status quo. Champion the path of most resistance. I promise you the view from the tallest mountain or highest cliff is where you see all that’s possible in front of you.   👏A roaring toast with Vegan Goats blood to the exceptional teams at E.L.F. BEAUTY and Liquid Death that leaned into the discomfort, becoming each other’s force multipliers of irreverence, audacity and bold disruption. They are the glory behind the 999 strikes of the 🪓 🙏 to the Cannes jurors for recognizing our hard work🦁 📸 e.l.f. and Liquid Death at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with a bronze award for our Corpse Paint collaboration ☠️

When Mike Cessario talks, people flood the aisles. Mad props to the people who chose the hard floor when all the seats were instantly taken. That’s commitment. Perhaps they were there to see the worlds best brand ambassadors - Peter Pham, Andy Pearson and Daniel Murphy - rip open 12 packs and pass out Liquid Death tall boys to an eager audience while the Master of Ceremonies sternly directed people to clear the aisles. Water or no water, the MC made it clear she wasn’t going to have a fire hazard on her watch. That kind of unexpected chaos, in an otherwise traditional arena, gives me the goosies and perfectly sets the stage for the ultimate disruptor. Murder your thirst with this mango chainsaw masterclass from Mike Cessario: ✨”It’s the 1950’s all over again. When TV was new, you had to make real entertainment.” ✨”Marketing is easy. Entertainment is hard.” ✨”Entertainment is a product. You pay to watch it. Marketing doesn’t have to be good because they pay you to watch it.” ✨”Making entertainment requires a different model. Unconventional hires and an unconventional approach.” ✨”Have a brain trust of funny people. Our team is like an SNL writers room.” ✨”Brand means more than the products ingredients. Brand is what your company means to people outside of the functional benefit of your product.” ✨”Small bets help you find the big wins. You need volume to find the hits.” ✨”You can only find your Napoleon Dynamite if you’re trying a bunch of different things.” ✨”Spending big and being ignored is reckless. Trying to mimmic a big company as a small company is reckless. We can’t afford to buy the eyeballs like the big guys do.” ✨”Treat marketing like a product worth paying for. Treat marketing as a separate product. Something people are going to want to share.” ✨”Produce something for cheap and get a lot out of it. The smart business thing to do is to make $1 equal $100 every time.” ✨”Marketers can be too literal about making sense. If you can confuse people, you can stop them. There is value, to some degree, to something that doesn’t make sense. Not crazy for the sake of crazy. Contextualize it so the crazy makes sense.” ✨”We have actual stand up comedians who are giving us ideas and writing stuff for us.” ✨”The unhealthy things just look so much cooler. If you want teens to think something is cool, market it to people in their 20's”. ✨”With Liquid Death we asked ourselves, how can we use branded humor to promote health to people who don't care about health? We’re making healhty products for people who dont normally use healthy products.” ✨”The bigger you get, the harder growing gets, the more you need to push the envelope.” Bammedy Bam Bam Boom 🖐️🎤 📷Rotonde Stage, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity