January 27th 2025.
e.l.f. Beauty, one of the leading giants in the beauty industry, is making a bold and powerful statement in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion. According to CNN, while other companies are scaling back on their DEI initiatives, e.l.f. Beauty is boldly advocating for diversity with their campaign "So Many Dicks". This campaign, launched in 2024, highlights the fact that there are nearly as many men named Richard, Rick, or Dick serving on public company boards as there are women altogether. As a company that stands for "eye, lip, face," e.l.f. is shedding light on the often overlooked issue of diversity efforts being under attack in the business world.
The statistics surrounding the number of board members in publicly traded U.S. companies are alarming. With a total of 36,957 board members in 4,429 companies, only 806 of those are Black women. Surprisingly, there are 19 times more men named Dick on these boards than there are women of Middle Eastern descent. This is a clear indication of the lack of diversity in the corporate world.
Despite these numbers, e.l.f. Beauty remains committed to their DEI initiatives, thanks to their diverse employee base and loyal following of diverse and younger customers. While other companies, such as Meta, Amazon, and Target, have succumbed to pressure from the Trump-Vance administration and scaled back on their diversity efforts, e.l.f. has stood firm. In fact, their success has only grown since 2020, with their stock increasing by over 700%. This success is a result of their commitment to bringing in diverse perspectives, even without a DEI team on staff.
CEO Tarang Amin credits the company's success to their diverse team, with 75% of their employees being women and 40% persons of color. In addition, e.l.f. features transgender and non-binary models as part of their diversity and inclusion strategy. Amin believes that diverse voices bring different perspectives and ultimately benefit the company. He states, "Companies that abandon their diversity efforts risk losing out on incredible talent that has different points of view and that add perspective to a company."
This commitment to diversity has not gone unnoticed, as seen in the comments on e.l.f.'s Instagram post. Customers like @havocbeautyandbrains are proud of the brand's approach and tenacity in promoting diversity. She writes, "Just amazing." E.l.f. Beauty's dedication to diversity has also been recognized in a recent report, which named Black beauty brands as the new go-to for all shoppers.
In a society where diversity is often overlooked and underrepresented, e.l.f. Beauty is leading the charge and setting an example for other companies to follow. Through their bold and thought-provoking campaigns, they are shedding light on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business world.
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