This is an episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, which features candid conversations about how today’s trends are shaping the future of the beauty and wellness industries. More from the series →
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As influencer marketing evolves beyond one-off paid posts, brands are finding new ways to build relationships that last and go deeper than a hashtag-sponsored post.
On this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Pop editor Sara Spruch-Feiner is joined by Kimberly Ho, founder and CEO of Evereden, to discuss why her $100 million Gen Alpha–focused skin-care brand is giving equity — not just transactional deals — to three teenage creators. The initiative, called Generation E, launches in tandem with the brand’s nationwide Sephora expansion and reflects Ho’s belief that the next phase of brand-building means inviting the next generation inside the company, not just in front of the camera.
Though it is not unheard of for brands to give equity to creators — for example, Alix Earle had equity in Poppi when it sold to Pepsi for nearly $2 billion — Evereden may be the first to give ownership to a 14-, 15- and 17-year-old.
The discussion explores why Evereden chose to give these three creators equity, even though, as Ho said, “We can fully afford a broad paid influencer program.” Ho also shares how the young girls will be brought inside the brand and how this model reflects what Gen Alpha wants from the brands it chooses to endorse.
Highlights from the episode, below, have been lightly edited for clarity.
Inside the Generation E campaign
“What we’re doing at Evereden is a new creator partnership and brand ambassadorship model that gives Gen Alpha creators real ownership, creative influence and long-term alignment with the brand. We’re moving into our next stage of growth with this nationwide Sephora rollout. And for this launch, we did not want distant, traditional celebrity faces representing the brand. What we know about Gen Alpha is that they crave authenticity, and so we wanted real voices Gen Alpha already trusts. Generation E [is made up of] three diverse and most compelling voices of Gen Alpha today, joining Evereden as long-term partners and equity owners, and to have a real say inside of our company. They’re going to be involved in product testing, concept development, limited-edition product launches and really shaping how we communicate with their peers. They’re going to have real input in what we make, how it feels and how we show up in the world. So, for us, this is not influencer marketing or brand ambassadorship — it is brand-building with the next generation.”
Why equity
“I think [giving them equity] is really revolutionary. In terms of an established brand partnering with Gen Alpha. To my knowledge, no other brand, especially a brand at Evereden’s scale and [level of] success, is giving equity ownership to Gen Alpha creators and inviting them to make decisions inside the company. If we had just wanted the popular Gen Alpha creators to post about us in a paid influencer capacity, or even [to be] faces of the brand — we [could have done] that without equity. I think giving equity means aligning long-term interests, and it really shows our commitment to listening to Gen Alpha and inviting them to have a seat at the table. And what I’m really excited about with this program is not just the tangible [things, like] they’re going to be creating products with us. But, you’re also going to see them at our community events, at our pop-ups — you’re going to see them really interacting with their peers and shaping Evereden’s culture going forward.”
What Gen Alpha wants
“We knew from our internal studies — we interviewed over 7,000 customers last year — and we found that Gen Alpha really craves authenticity over hype, first and foremost. We know that Gen Alpha does not connect with polished celebrity endorsements — they connect with people who feel like them: peers who are authentic, thoughtful and part of their everyday world. And so, by partnering with Gen Alpha creators as true brand ambassadors and equity owners, Evereden is creating a new blueprint for how modern brands are built.”
