Brands
Anymind banks on avatars to fast-track brand live streaming
MUMBAI: Talk about putting your money where your face is. Anymind group is banking on avatars to give live commerce a fresh facelift.
The company has rolled out its new ‘Avatar Bank’ on Anylive, its AI-powered live commerce platform. Think of it as a ready-to-wear wardrobe, but for digital hosts: brands can now dip into a library of pre-made AI avatars instead of spending time and money creating one from scratch.
The appeal? Speed and savings. With avatars off the shelf, brands can launch streams in just a week, making live commerce campaigns quicker, leaner and far less of a production headache. For brands juggling multiple campaigns, that’s as close to plug-and-play as it gets.
Anylive isn’t just about pretty faces either. The platform can deliver content in multiple languages, run streams around the clock, and crunch data from both human and AI-led sessions to help brands fine-tune scripts and performances. The Avatar Bank slips neatly into this ecosystem, letting businesses mix and match, use custom avatars for premium projects, or pick from the bank when speed matters.
Anymind Group, ceo and co-founder, Kosuke Sogo said the feature has already gained traction in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. “This update makes it easier than ever for brands to incorporate AI avatars into their live commerce efforts. We will expand our lineup to give brands more choice, helping them achieve maximum results with minimal effort,” he said.
For a world hungry for faster campaigns, the message is clear: avatars aren’t just virtual, they’re virtually indispensable.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
