MAM
Positive Vibez Brand Solutions and WhyNotNow join forces
Mumbai: Positive Vibez Brand Solutions (PVBS) and WhyNotNow (WNN) has announced their collaboration in providing comprehensive brand strategy solutions aimed at brands across industry sectors & empowering startups to reach their full potential in today’s competitive marketplace.
Positive Vibez Brand Solutions (PVBS) is a marketing agency in India, renowned for its strategic brilliance and seamless execution in amplifying brands and orchestrating unforgettable experiences. PVBS has a proven track record of serving top brands across the nation, leveraging a dedicated team of 35-plus experts spanning various marketing disciplines. With its innovative approach and expertise, PVBS consistently delivers global solutions that elevate brand presence and create lasting impact.
WhyNotNow (WNN) is a brand advisory firm focused on delivering integrated brand strategy & marketing solutions, Martech, and PR services to startups, SMEs, and unicorns. With over 30 years of founder’s experience in brand strategy across diverse industry sectors, WNN is committed to helping businesses of all sizes succeed by providing expert guidance and innovative creative solutions.
The collaboration between PVBS and WNN marks a significant milestone in the realm of brand strategy solutions. By combining WNN’s expertise in branding & innovative marketing strategy, Martech, and PR with PVBS’s proficiency in brand strategy, design, and event execution, the partnership aims to craft brand magic that captivates audiences worldwide.
PVBS co-founder and director Suneet Batra expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “We are thrilled to join forces with WhyNotNow (WNN) to offer unparalleled brand strategy solutions to our clients. By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we are confident in our ability to deliver exceptional results and drive brand success.”
WNN founder and CEO Sharad Gupta echoed this sentiment, saying, “At WhyNotNow, our mission is to empower businesses & brands to thrive in today’s dynamic landscape. Our collaboration with PVBS allows us to expand our reach and capabilities, enabling us to create impactful brand experiences that resonate with audiences globally. Our strategic focus on start-ups, Small & Medium Businesses will offer innovative branding & marketing solutions to the emerging sector and try to attain thought leadership in the industry.”
Together, PVBS and WNN are poised to redefine the landscape of brand strategy solutions, providing startups, SMEs, and unicorns with the strategic guidance and creative firepower they need to succeed in an ever-evolving marketplace.
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.
