Executive Summary: NVIDIA, P&G and E.l.f. Beauty are diverse growth strategy examples with one key element in common: a focus on innovation. As market realities evolve, each of these companies have been ahead of the competition and enjoyed outsized growth as a reward.
3 Innovative Companies: NVIDIA, P&G, & E.l.f. Beauty
These three growth strategy examples show a variety of diverse growth possibilities. There are many strategies companies can employ to drive growth, such as:
- launch brand extensions
- create new products
- expand into new markets
- acquisitions
- and many more
However, what works for one company, might not work for the next, given a variety of factors, including industry, brand and company dynamics. Today more than ever, leaders are keen on making sure they have an effective growth strategy that will allow them to capitalize on evolving consumer behavior and preferences.
Let’s take a look at three innovative growth strategy examples and an analysis of why they worked.
NVIDIA Growth Strategy Examples:
First-Mover Advantage in AI Computing
As a modern growth strategy example, NVIDIA stands head-and-shoulders above the rest. This mega chip company burst onto the AI scene with its innovative GPU chip design that outperforms conventional CPU chips in gaming, video and (crucially) artificial intelligence. As the inventor of GPU technology, NVIDIA enjoys a first-mover advantage.
Is NVIDIA’s Growth Slowing?
There’s constant chatter that NVIDIA is over-valued and can’t keep up with market expectations. So far, the company has defied its critics. NVIDIA’s most recent earnings report shows:
- “Record revenue of $57.0 billion, up 22% from Q2 and up 62% from a year ago”
- “Record Data Center revenue of $51.2 billion, up 25% from Q2 and up 66% from a year ago”
This data cements NVIDIA’s place as the world’s most valuable company, with a market capitalization of $4.405 trillion. The company first passed the trillion-dollar mark in 2023, jumping in value 253.88% in one year.
What’s Next for NVIDIA?
Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA enthused:
“Blackwell sales are off the charts, and cloud GPUs are sold out. Compute demand keeps accelerating and compounding across training and inference — each growing exponentially. We’ve entered the virtuous cycle of AI. The AI ecosystem is scaling fast — with more new foundation model makers, more AI startups, across more industries, and in more countries. AI is going everywhere, doing everything, all at once.”
NVIDIA’s growth strategy is tied to AI innovation, which is almost-daily disrupting entire industries. For one example, see my article, “GEO Growth Strategy Marketing: How to Get Recommended by AI Chatbots.”
Along with new AI developments, NVIDIA seeks to grow into new geographic markets, as well. That future seems a little hazier, as the company faces regulatory uncertainty.
P&G Growth Strategy Examples:
Focus on Innovation in Product Development & Acquisitions
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has over 65 global brands with $84.3 billion in net sales and growing. Most of its brands have been around for over 50 years and hold the largest market share in the categories they play in.
P&G is a large company with a multi-faceted strategy, however, core to its growth strategy is Innovation. According to Chief Research, Development and Innovation Officer Victor Aquilar:
“We are obsessed with finding solutions to the everyday problems our consumers are facing now and in the future. This starts by combining deep understanding of our consumers to create irresistibly superior products with the most advanced science and technology that impact their daily lives. In doing so, we create value for everyone.”
Swiffer: A Top P&G Innovation Growth Strategy Example
One of its most successful innovations – Swiffer – launched in 1994 and revolutionized the home cleaning category, giving convenience-oriented consumers an easier way to clean floors and surfaces. Swiffer is now a $500 million brand with sweeping, mopping, dusting, and air cleaning product offerings. Most recently, in 2025, P&G introduced the Swiffer Sweep and Mop Deluxe.
While not every P&G product launch has turned into a multi- million dollar business, those that have enabled significant growth and landed P&G – a 187-year-old business – on Fortune’s list of America’s Most Innovative Companies 2025 (ranked #22 out of 300).
What’s the Secret to Swiffer’s Success?
This is an innovation-focused growth strategy example, and it has worked for P&G because it was accompanied with:
- Company-wide focus on innovating faster: P&G evaluated what process and ways of working needed to change within the organization to enable agile product development and improve go-to-market speed, so that it could capitalize on trends faster and win out versus rapidly-growing smaller players
- Prioritization of breakthrough innovation: In order to achieve the growth it was after, P&G invested in disruptive innovations – products that would tap into an unmet consumer need and create new market opportunities like Swiffer
- Marketing investment: P&G is a marketing powerhouse that spent $12.4 billion in advertising and marketing in FY 2025 alone. Its ability to support new products and new brands in new categories is undoubtedly an advantage versus competition
P&G Acquires Native for its Digital-Native CPG Growth
When Native launched in 2015, selling direct-to-consumer (DTC) deodorant was a definite David-vs-Goliath tale. But the brand evolved from competing with P&G products to being acquired for $100 million in 2017.
This growth strategy example wasn’t just beneficial for Native founder Moiz Ali. P&G has grown the brand significantly since the acquisition:
- 2017 US sales: $25-$30 million
- 2023 US sales: $782 million
Ali credits his success to innovation iterations, both in product and marketing:
“Rather than exhaust time and money on lengthy R&D, he figured the quickest way to find out if there was a market for his product was to try and sell it. To pull this off, speed of execution was key, and Native’s profile as a lean, frugal, early stage business fitted this necessity perfectly. They got into operation mode from day one and put an early version of their natural, toxin free, ethical deodorant in front of the market… Their deodorant was constantly tested against the market and rapidly iterated upon.”
Native took a similar approach to marketing, with relentless testing and tweaking of its online ad strategy.
Today, P&G continues the DTC strategy, along with broad retail distribution alongside other P&G CPG products. Consumers can find Native deodorant in 1,800+ Target stores and 4,400+ Walmart stores.
E.l.f. Beauty Growth Strategy Examples:
A $1B Acquisition Helps this Bargain Brand Diversify Into Mid-Range Markets
In 2024, E.l.f. Beauty was recognized as one of the fastest-growing brands in a decade. Insight to Action detailed the company’s rise in “Brand Strategy Example: Gen Z Glows Up with e.l.f. Cosmetics.” As we reported:
“Since its founding in 2004, e.l.f. Cosmetics has grown into one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the United States, becoming the go-to brand for Gen Z. SE.l.f.-described as ‘Bold disruptors with kind hearts,’ e.l.f.’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past few years, with the brand achieving 22 consecutive quarters of growth and delivering over $1 billion in net sales, up 77% in Fiscal 2024. With its stock up more than 1500% in the past five years, e.l.f. is also the fastest-growing company listed on the New York Stock Exchange over that time.”
Not every outlook has been rosy for the cosmetics’ brand, however. With its focus on affordable beauty, it’s not surprising most products are sourced in China. Due to tariff pressure, income fell 30% for the fiscal quarter ending in June 2025 (although sales were up 9%).
Will E.l.f.’s Acquisition of Rhode Put Growth Back on Track?
In May 2025, E.l.f. announced its agreement to purchase Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand Rhode for $1 billion. In FY 2025, Rhode generated $212 million in sales. Here’s how E.l.f. plans for the acquisition to boost growth:
- Distributes the E.l.f. brand into Sephora retail stores
- Diversifies the company into a mid-range market with less price sensitivity and higher margins
- Brings Rhode founder Hailey Bieber’s strategic creativity to the company as she becomes the Chief Creative Officer
- Rhode’s products are primarily manufactured in South Korea, and that geographical diversification may cushion some tariff risk
Each of these growth strategy examples is different – there is no one-size-fits-all answer. To inform their growth strategy, these companies took into account evolving market realities to identify gaps and opportunities for their brands. They also firmly committed to delivering growth based on what made the most sense for their broader company objectives, including lining up assets and investing where needed to drive prioritization and organizational focus.
Visit our resources page for more growth strategy examples, or contact us to help with growth strategies for your company.
