Brands
Infinix names ITZY’s Yuna global brand ambassador
K-pop star fronts NOTE 60 SERIES launch, aligning with Joy Tech philosophy.
MUMBAI: Infinix just recruited K-pop royalty, because when Yuna joins the squad, even smartphones start hitting high notes. Infinix Mobility has appointed Yuna of ITZY as its first-ever global brand ambassador, coinciding with the global debut of the Note 60 Series flagship smartphones. The partnership embodies the brand’s “Joy Tech, Beyond Limits” philosophy, celebrating confidence, individuality, and fearless self-expression.
Yuna, the youngest member of the K-pop group ITZY, brings her vibrant energy and boundary-breaking spirit to the role. Known for her discipline, self-discovery, and continuous reinvention across music and acting, she mirrors Infinix’s commitment to empowering young users through creative, joyful technology.
Yuna said, “I am so excited to reach out to my fans in a new way as Infinix’s Global Brand Ambassador. I’ve always believed that life should be filled with joy and the courage to show the world who you truly are. It’s been amazing to see how Infinix shares that same energy.”
Infinix Mobility CMO TT Liu added, “Partnering with Yuna accelerates our mission to deliver a fun, cutting-edge mobile experience to young fans globally. Guided by Joy Tech, Infinix moves beyond talking about how advanced a phone is, to telling stories about how technology creates joy.”
The collaboration marks Infinix’s strategic push into the premium smartphone segment with the Note 60 Series, positioning the brand as a catalyst for self-expression among tech-savvy youth. By blending Yuna’s infectious charisma with flagship innovation, Infinix is crafting a narrative that resonates far beyond specs turning devices into platforms for bold, joyful stories.
In a market where youth demand both performance and personality, Infinix isn’t just launching phones, it’s launching a movement, one high-note ambassador at a time.
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.
