Drunk Elephant: Consultant Report

Overview

This project focused on identifying a major problem or controversy within Drunk Elephant’s marketing and pitching potential solutions for brand realignment. By analyzing current social media trends and conducting survey-based research, this consultant report breaks down how Drunk Elephant should repurpose their shifting target audience.

The Problem

Background

In 2024, Drunk Elephant began facing controversy on social media, specifically TikTok, after the term “Sephora kids” started trending. Young, prepubescent girls visiting Sephora with their mothers were seen destroying the Drunk Elephant and other product tester displays and being rude to staff and other customers. Additionally, many Drunk Elephant products piquing the interest of this younger crowd are not safe for their skin types.

Problem Statement

Despite facing mass controversy online for being associated with spoiled children, Drunk Elephant chose to ignore the coverage and even started catering to the younger crowd instead of repairing their brand image with their true target audience.

Challenge

Brainstorm and implement creative planning to realign the Drunk Elephant brand and target audience while also considering a new category of consumer in an ethical manner.

The Process

Discovery & User Research

I began my research by drafting a ten-question survey for my peers and people in my network about their experiences with Drunk Elephant and/or what they knew about the brand. Key questions included:

  • Do you have a set skincare routine?

  • What words or phrases come to mind when you think of the brand Drunk Elephant?

  • Have you ever purchased a Drunk Elephant product? Why or why not?

Just under 200 of these survey responses provided great insight into what demographics the negative press were affecting the most.

I also interviewed another PR professional who was very knowledgeable about the skincare industry to help brainstorm some problem-solving ideas.

View the form here!

<————

View Survey results HERE!

Plan of Action

My initial goal was to turn Drunk Elephant’s negative media coverage into opportunities for financial and reputational growth. The research I conducted revealed that Drunk Elephant could re-engage their target audience by offering more budget-friendly bundle deals for products meant to be used together and developing a college affiliate program to appeal to younger adults.

The rest of this report dives into more detail on how Drunk Elephant should use and implement these tactics, along with some smaller-scale ideas to fix problems that came to light from the survey.

Drunk Elephant Consultant Report

Drunk Elephant Consultant Report

The consulting report demonstrates that Drunk Elephant can successfully redirect its brand positioning without alienating its unexpected tween following. By implementing strategic bundle deals and a college affiliate program, the brand can:

  • Re-engage its intended demographic of young adult consumers

  • Address price concerns while maintaining premium positioning

  • Ensure safer product usage through appropriate bundling and education

  • Build long-term brand loyalty with consumers who have greater purchasing power

  • Transition from viral trend status to established premium skincare brand

This comprehensive approach provides Drunk Elephant with actionable strategies to transform a potential brand crisis into an opportunity for market expansion and deeper consumer engagement.

View the full consultant report below!