Brands
Bacardi Nh7 Weekender 11 goes virtual
NEW DELHI: OML and Bacardi are all set to go virtual with the Bacardi NH7 Weekender festival this December. The 11th edition of the multi-genre, multi-city music festival will be held virtually on 5 and 6 December 2020 and can be streamed by fans across the country.
The two-day digital edition will feature an eclectic line-up of musicians. The festival will be streaming all three stages simultaneously — the Bacardi Stage, The Dewar's Stage and Breezer Vivid Stage — clocking 16+ hours of music by local artists and international talent.
This time around, fans will be able to host virtual parties during the stream, play games, take pictures in a virtual photo-booth, and join live parties along with artists and fans.
Adding to the engagement factor of the digital festival experience, the tickets for this year’s edition comes with exciting perks – from the opportunity to pre-buy into next year’s edition of the festival at a reduced price, as well as thoughtfully-curated memorabilia.
OML CEO Gunjan Arya said: “The Bacardi Nh7 Weekender has brought artists and fans together for over a decade and through the unique virtual festival experience, this is what our objective is this year as well. Bacardi’s support and Insider’s support has been instrumental in designing a highly immersive and interactive platform for this edition of the festival, which we’re extremely excited to unveil to fans of music everywhere. The festival will feature its signature programming mix of international and Indian indie musicians, and give fans to enjoy this unique experience together – albeit online.”
Insider.in founder and CEO Shreyas Sriniviasan said: “Over the years, the festival has brought people together to experience music with their favourite artists. It’s only natural that we continue to enable the same community experience, not just with the artists, but also with each other, this time digitally.”
"While bringing back the Weekender state of mind, we wanted to ensure utmost safety for all our artists and audiences," said Brand Bacardi India and south-east Asia senior brand manager Sameeksha Uniyal.
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.
