e.l.f. Beauty Conference Call Summary Company Overview - **Company**: e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) - **Industry**: Beauty and Cosmetics - **Key Brands**: e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, Naturium, rhode Core Points and Arguments Market Position and Growth - e.l.f. Beauty is the number one brand by unit share in U.S. color cosmetics and has three of the fastest-growing skincare brands [1][2] - The company has achieved a **23% CAGR** in net sales over the last decade, significantly outpacing the beauty industry's **4% CAGR** [9] - e.l.f. has gained **800 basis points** of market share over the last five years, while the top ten mass color cosmetics brands have lost **30 basis points** [10] - The company has delivered **28 consecutive quarters** of net sales growth, showcasing its consistent performance [9] Brand Portfolio and Acquisitions - The e.l.f. brand portfolio includes: - e.l.f. Cosmetics: Number one unit share brand - e.l.f. SKIN: Number 11 mass skincare brand, growing at more than twice the category growth rate - Naturium: Number 5 masstige brand, growing significantly - rhode: Acquired in August, now the number one brand at Sephora North America [7][8] Competitive Advantages - e.l.f. Beauty emphasizes its **core value proposition** of providing high-quality products at accessible prices, appealing to a broad demographic including Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Millennials [12] - The company has a **hybrid manufacturing model** that combines asset-light manufacturing with deep expertise, allowing for quality, cost, and speed advantages [26] - e.l.f. has built a **disruptive marketing engine** that connects with its community across various platforms, including TikTok and Twitch, enhancing brand engagement [30][31] Financial Performance - e.l.f. has raised its outlook for net sales growth to **22%-23%** for the current year, significantly above the average of **4%** for public consumer companies [15] - The company has improved its gross margin from **41%** to an expected **70%**, allowing for reinvestment in marketing and growth initiatives [64] White Space Opportunities - e.l.f. aims to **double its net sales** across cosmetics, skincare, and international markets in the coming years [66] - In color cosmetics, e.l.f. holds a **13% market share** and aims to become the number one dollar share brand [66] - The skincare segment has grown to represent **20%** of the business, with plans for further distribution and innovation [68] - International sales currently account for **20%** of net sales, with a goal to increase this to match global peers at **70%** [70] Additional Insights - e.l.f. has a strong commitment to diversity, with **71%** of its team being women and **43%** diverse, reflecting the communities it serves [14][15] - The company has successfully created a **connected commerce ecosystem** that integrates content, community, and commerce, enhancing customer engagement [31] - e.l.f. products are sold at a rate of **nine products per second**, making it the most unit brand in its category [61] This summary encapsulates the key points from the e.l.f. Beauty conference call, highlighting the company's strong market position, growth strategies, competitive advantages, and future opportunities.

Core Insights - Stagwell's agencies made a significant impact during Super Bowl LX, delivering standout commercials for various clients and achieving recognition with two ads in the top 10 of the USA TODAY Ad Meter [1][2] Advertising Highlights - e.l.f. Beauty's campaign featured a telenovela-style ad starring Melissa McCarthy, emphasizing humor and cultural timing [4] - Grubhub's first Super Bowl ad addressed consumer frustrations with delivery fees, positioning the brand as consumer-friendly [4] - Kinder Bueno's ad showcased a space-themed adventure, transforming negative moments into positive ones through the brand's product [4] - Liquid I.V. highlighted the issue of dehydration in a humorous way, using toilets to convey the message [4] - The NFL's campaigns focused on youth coaches and community engagement, featuring notable NFL players [4] Off-Field Activations - Dairy Queen created a buzz with a campaign linked to rumored halftime appearances, engaging fans with contests and custom merchandise [7] - Don Julio celebrated Latinidad culture through an episodic social series, enhancing consumer engagement [7] - Frank's RedHot's campaign featured a humorous take on game day food culture, starring Ludacris [7] - Perdue aimed to introduce its Air Fryer Ready Crispy Wings in Buffalo, NY, leveraging local partnerships [7] - Starbucks highlighted the role of coffee runners in a grand narrative, reinforcing community connections [7] Research and Insights - The Harris Poll provided insights into American engagement with the Super Bowl, including spending and co-viewing trends [10] - HarrisX launched its 2026 Super Bowl Ad Index, conducting extensive ad testing to evaluate creative performance [10] - The Marketing Cloud's HarrisQuest will release a report on brand lift and consumer sentiment related to the Super Bowl [10] Technology and Innovation - Code and Theory enhanced NFL.com to support the league's direct-to-consumer strategy, significantly increasing site traffic and subscriber growth for NFL+ [7]

Core Insights - E.l.f. Beauty is focusing on long-term brand awareness through significant marketing investments, including a Super Bowl ad, which has increased brand awareness from just over 10% five years ago to over 40% today [1][2]. Marketing Strategy - The company aims to convert the two-thirds of women who are not currently customers, as only one in three women shop at e.l.f. [2]. - E.l.f. maintains a competitive pricing strategy, with approximately 75% of its products priced at $10 or less, appealing to consumers who are becoming more selective with their spending [2]. - The marketing budget for the year is projected to be 24% to 26% of sales, indicating a commitment to reinvest in brand awareness and customer acquisition [5]. Super Bowl Advertising - E.l.f.'s Super Bowl LX commercial will feature its best-selling product, Glow Reviver Lip Oil, in a campaign starring notable actors and targeting Hispanic households, which represent 18% of its buyers [6][7]. - The ad will be broadcast on multiple platforms, including Peacock and Univision, and is expected to reach a wide audience, including fans of the halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny [7]. Financial Performance - For the quarter ending December 31, e.l.f. reported a GAAP diluted EPS of $0.65, exceeding estimates, with net sales increasing by 38% to $489.5 million, partly due to the addition of the Rhode brand [8]. - The company has raised its full-year outlook, projecting net sales growth of 22% to 23% and higher adjusted EBITDA guidance [8].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q3, net sales grew by 38% year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA increasing by 79% [3][29] - The acquisition of Rhode contributed approximately $128 million, or about 36 percentage points, to Q3 net sales growth [29] - Q3 gross margin was 71%, down approximately 30 basis points year-over-year but up 200 basis points sequentially from Q2 [30] - Adjusted net income was $74 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, compared to $43 million, or $0.74 per diluted share a year ago [31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - e.l.f. Cosmetics brand grew 8% in the U.S., outperforming the category by two times [3] - e.l.f. Skin consumption grew 16% in the U.S., also outperforming the category by two times [4] - Naturium, acquired two years ago, continues to drive strong growth, while Rhode achieved the No. 1 brand ranking in Sephora North America [4][26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. net sales grew by 36% year-over-year, while international net sales grew by 44% [30] - The company increased its market share by 130 basis points, the largest share gain among over 700 cosmetics brands tracked by Nielsen [4] - International sales account for approximately 20% of total net sales, compared to legacy peers with over 70% [28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to democratize access to beauty with a value proposition that offers products at accessible price points [6] - Plans for spring 2026 include expanding retail space within Ulta Beauty in the U.S. and launching with DM in Germany [25] - The company is focused on innovation and disruptive marketing to fuel brand awareness and deepen community connections [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to continue gaining market share and delivering growth, despite some softness in the UK and Germany [29][30] - The outlook for fiscal 2026 has been raised, expecting net sales growth of approximately 22%-23% year-over-year, up from 18%-20% previously [33] - Management noted that global consumption growth is expected to be around 6%, with some headwinds from pipeline dynamics [35] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with $197 million in cash on hand, compared to $74 million a year ago [32] - The company repurchased approximately $50 million of outstanding common stock during the quarter [32] - The marketing spend for the quarter was 21% of net sales, down from 27% in Q3 of the previous year [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on your approach to spending and guidance? - Management indicated that the adjusted EBITDA margin for the second half is expected to be around 19%, up from 17% previously, due to timing shifts in costs and increased marketing spend [41][42] Question: What is the plan for expanding Rhode at a faster pace? - Management emphasized the importance of maintaining quality in launches rather than rushing expansion, noting strong demand for Rhode [43][44] Question: What strategies are in place to drive growth for the core e.l.f. brand? - Management highlighted the importance of innovation and market share gains, noting that the brand is the most productive in terms of sales per linear foot [46][47] Question: Can you provide an update on the base e.l.f. Cosmetics business in the U.S.? - Management reported that the brand is healthy, with a successful price increase and strong consumer acceptance [52][53] Question: What are the plans for innovation and portfolio around Rhode in the U.S.? - Management mentioned ongoing innovation efforts, including new product launches and a focus on maintaining momentum [55][56]