MAM
Colgate partners with India’s first female blade runner Kiran Kanojia
Mumbai: Colgate-Palmolive India, the market leader in oral care on Tuesday released an inspiring true story of Kiran Kanojia, under its ‘Smile Karo Aur Shuru ho Jao’ campaign as part of its ongoing effort to promote optimism over self-doubt.
Colgate India has been bringing its ‘Smile Karo Aur Shuru Ho Jao’ (Smile and Get Going) philosophy to life for more than three years now, sharing inspiring real stories from across the country. The initiative aims to encourage us to embrace optimism in the face of adversities and choose to smile as the secret weapon to dissolve all negativity and go forth and create the life of our dreams.
Continuing to deliver on the above message, Colgate has launched their latest campaign celebrating Kiran Kanojia’s inspirational story. The ad begins from the point in life when Kiran, at the age of 25, was pushed off a train by robbers trying to steal her bag, and her left leg was crushed. Doctors had to amputate her leg to save her life. But she decided to fight the odds and not give up. With her unwavering persistence and willpower, she not only begins to walk but accomplishes her first ever marathon as a blade runner. Today she is known for not just her courage but also an evangelist spreading hope and confidence amongst others. The Colgate ad aims to bring back a spark in the viewers to battle their own odds and not give up till they reach their desired point in life.
Colgate vice president – marketing Arvind Chintamani said, “Colgate believes that optimism has the power to move mountains and Kiran is a shining example of our philosophy. We are huge fans of Kiran’s indomitable spirit that made her India’s first female blade runner to complete a marathon and we promise to continue to support and inspire everyone, everyday to be more positive and optimistic and remember to Smile & Get Going!”
The campaign ad film is conceptualized by RedFuse, WPP’s integrated communications partner to Colgate India. The ad will be run in 12 languages which are Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu.
Speaking about the idea behind the campaign ad film, RedFuse executive creative director Delna Sethna, said, “Under that diminutive, soft spoken exterior Kiran is a powerhouse, full of heart and courage. Her story will, I believe, inspire people. Not to take up marathoning, but to take the path less trodden. One that’s tougher. One that pushes you. One that knows no matter what, there is a light at the end of that long, dark tunnel.”
On this journey, Colgate India has highlighted stories of some remarkable people who, with their courage and positivity, overcame huge obstacles in their respective lives and became torchbearers of hope for millions. These names included India’s first visually-impaired solo paraglider Divyanshu Ganatra; the youngest batsman in the world to score a double century in List-A cricket Yashaswi Jaiswal; the adoptive mother of over 1,400 orphaned children Late Sindhutai Sapkal and the world’s first female amputee to climb Mount Everest Arunima Sinha.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
