Brands
Viacom18 promises to #OpenNewWorlds in new corporate film
MUMBAI: Viacom18 has launched a corporate brand film titled ‘Open New Worlds’. Conceptualised by Leo Burnett Orchard, the film commemorates the entertainment conglomerate’s completion of 10 years in India. The film will have an integrated reach and will be activated on touch points like outdoor, digital, in addition to the Viacom18 network.
The montage film portrays the impact Viacom18’s lines of business have had on Indians across geographies, different ages, backgrounds, platforms, cultures and interests through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema. The narrative of the film is held together by an inspiring rendition of the brand philosophy in the title track sung by singer Jubin Nautiyal.
Video Link: http://bit.ly/2hLk3l1
Viacom18 head of communications and CSR Sonia Huria says, “While deliberating on the singular theme that would best describe the corporate brand salience, the one thought that kept resurfacing throughout our varied businesses and brands was how Viacom18 has been encouraging everyday Indians to explore possibilities, push their own boundaries, embrace opportunities and challenge norms. This was the genesis of the brand promise of ‘Open New Worlds’.”
Leo Burnett Orchard executive creative director Amod Dani adds, “This project has been an interesting challenge right from the start. How do you introduce a decade-old media company, with immensely famous brands in its fold, that defines entertainment across genres, platforms and cultures, with a film that is more than just a corporate statement? The inspiring brand ethos that reflects the belief of the company helped us outline how each of Viacom18’s individual brands change lives of Indians every day. And how unlikely audiences connect with content, merchandise and derive inspiration and joy. Creating ‘Open New Worlds’ has been a highlight of our journey with the group, one that will live with us for a long 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.
