Kory Marchisotto (e.l.f. Beauty) on Acquiring Rhode, Building a Billion-Dollar Brand and Responding When Campaigns Don’t Land
About this episode
Kory Marchisotto discusses her journey at e.l.f. Beauty, including brand building, acquisitions, and innovative marketing strategies.
When Kory Marchisotto joined e.l.f. Beauty, the company had less than 10% brand awareness and roughly $200 million in revenue. Today, e.l.f.’s brands generate approximately $1.8 billion in global consumption—and have become some of the most culturally relevant names in beauty. In this episode, Kory joins Sammi from the Cannes Lions Festival to explain how she brought the rigor of luxury brand-building to an affordable beauty company designed for the “happy many” rather than the “happy few.” She shares why every major decision at e.l.f. begins with its community, how the company turns comments and cultural signals into campaigns, and the story behind the e.l.f. language that helped create the brand’s cult following. Kory also takes Sammi inside e.l.f.’s billion-dollar acquisition of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, including the business metrics and shared values that made the partnership stand out. She explains why e.l.f. publicly addressed its first global price increase, how the company maintains premium quality and strict safety standards at accessible prices, and why it continues to enter unexpected spaces like Twitch, Roblox, gaming, sports, and the Super Bowl. Plus, Kory reveals how…
People in this episode
Host: Sammi Cohen
Guest: Kory Marchisotto
Topics covered
- brand building
- marketing strategies
- acquisitions
- community engagement
- cultural relevance
- employee equity
Keywords
- e.l.f. Beauty
- Kory Marchisotto
- Rhode acquisition
- marketing campaigns
- community-driven
- brand awareness
- Jennifer Coolidge
- Cannes Lions Festival
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: e.l.f. Beauty, Rhode
Places: Cannes Lions Festival, Twitch, Roblox
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