MAM
Havas launches branded entertainment unit B6 in India
MUMBAI: Eyeing the opportunities that the Indian entertainment scenario has to offer, Havas Media has launched its Indian operations in the branded entertainment space with B6.
Parallel to the launch, two significant appointments to the senior management have been made. Mozez Singh has been roped in as vice president and Djitisha Bhonsle as business director.
According to an official agency announcement, B6 India has been launched in response to client demand for a full service integrated entertainment network that complements existing services in traditional and digital media and sports marketing.
The new office reinforces Havas Media’s portfolio in India which already includes MPG, Media Contacts and Havas Sports.
In his new role, Singh will lead the strategic development of B6 and will report to MPG India CEO Anita Nayyar. Singh comes to B6 with previous experience that includes the head of production for the Angelina Jolie movie, “A Mighty Heart” – The Daniel Pearl Story – produced by Paramount Studios Plan B (Brad Pitt’s new production company). He also has considerable experience as a writer and producer director in Bollywood.
Bhonsle will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency and will also report to Nayyar. Bhonsle has previously worked at Mukta Arts and India Express where she was responsible for managing the screen brand and corporate events.
Speaking about the companies Indian operations, B6 Integrated Entertainment Global director Guy Champnis said, “As B6 continues to expand around the world, we are absolutely delighted to launch in India. Indian film and television is growing at a phenomenal rate and it is vital that B6 continues to offer its advertisers content-driven opportunities. With Mozez and Djitisha, we look forward to developing industry-defining strategies for both local and international clients as entertainment continues to be a crucial part of the communications mix.”
Commenting on her new role Singh comments, “I am delighted with my new role and I look forward to the many challenges it will bring. The close relationship between the corporate and entertainment industries has created new platforms for innovation and forces us, from the outset, to change the way we think. This increases the financial benefit to the consumer and helps to generate even richer content and aids low budget productions.”
Bhonsle said, “The role of integrated content, particularly online, is a key competitive tool in the Indian market. Media fragmentation means content driven messages are now a key part of the overall strategic communications plan. B6 will continue to ensure clients are guaranteed a 360-degree level of service in a climate where the integration of unconventional media is an important point of difference in an increasingly competitive market.”
B6 now spans Europe, North America and Latin America with offices in the UK, US, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
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.
