Brands
Colgate-Palmolive India, Jio & Swiggy make the most of the IPL frenzy
Mumbai: Colgate-Palmolive India indulged in a playful exchange alongside notable brands Jio and Swiggy, during the much-awaited Chennai Super Kings vs. Punjab Kings IPL match on 1 May. This delightful interaction, initiated on X (formerly Twitter), was a special serve to add to the ongoing Indian Sweets League campaign by Colgate-Palmolive India, promising an engaging experience for IPL fans and sweet aficionados alike.
As viewers held their breath wicket on wicket, the three brands engaged in an unexpected, witty banter that set the mood for the celebrations. This added a little fun and excitement to the game of cricket and fostered connections among fans of the Indian Sweets League and cricket enthusiasts.
Commenting on the Indian Sweets League, Colgate-Palmolive India EVP, marketing Gunjit Jain stated, “The last thing that millions of Indians put on their teeth is sugar, not toothpaste. This behavior gets heightened during the IPL season as Indians watch with rapt attention while munching on snacks, and ending it with a sweet celebration as their team wins the match. Our new campaign reminds IPL-loving Indians to enjoy cricket, but also protect themselves from cavities by taking a strategic time-out to brush their teeth at night.”
Catch Colgate’s “Indian Sweets League” every night during the IPL matches on JioCinema. Join in the fun, enjoy the matches, savour your favourite sweets, and remember to always end your day on a high note with a winning oral care routine.
Stay tuned for live updates and join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #IndianSweetsLeague.
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.
