MAM
Ad:tech Honours 2026 crowns winners in New Delhi
Expanded awards celebrate fusion of creativity and technology in Indian marketing.
MUMBAI: The ad:tech Honours 2026 didn’t just hand out trophies, it handed the spotlight to the real engines powering modern brand engagement. The second edition of the prestigious awards reached its climax at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, honouring brands and agencies that are redefining marketing through the smart convergence of creativity and technology. Held on the sidelines of ad:tech New Delhi, the ceremony recognised outstanding work across an expanded list of 22 categories up from just 8 last year reflecting the explosive growth of AI, programmatic, retail tech, and immersive experiences in India.
Winners included standout campaigns from Laqshya Media Limited (multiple Golds and Silvers for Marriott and Tanishq), Mobavenue Media (Gold for Uniqlo and Boat), Publicis (Gold for Nespresso), Vayner Media India (Gold for Iqoo), and Glad U Came (Gold for Domino’s), among others. Categories ranged from AI & Creative Automation and Programmatic & Emerging Media to Influencer Marketing, OTT Innovation, and GenAI-led Creative.
The expansion of categories underscores a clear industry shift: data and creativity are no longer separate disciplines but essential partners for delivering measurable business impact. From predictive AI and omnichannel automation to interactive DOOH and retail media, the awards highlighted how technology is optimising every stage of the customer journey.
A new partnership with Huella added extra value for winners, offering NEXad advertising credits to amplify their winning work through high-impact Connected TV formats.
Speaking to the evolving landscape, the honours celebrated not just creative excellence but also the strategic use of emerging tools that help brands cut through the noise in an increasingly fragmented attention economy.
In a year marked by rapid MarTech evolution, ad:tech Honours 2026 proved that the future of advertising belongs to those who master the art of blending human ingenuity with intelligent technology. The message from New Delhi was loud and clear, the winners aren’t just keeping up with change, they’re defining it.
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.
