Doug Lockyer
Anne-Marie Giarrattano
Ji-Hyun Lee

Boston Consulting Group approached Riptide in 1999 to compete for the e-commerce business of Estée Lauder. The cosmetic giant wanted to publish an umbrella site and six or seven sub-sites promoting its diverse brands.

Riptide was short listed and met with the Lauder team after three rounds of proposals and selections, but in the end Estée Lauder reviewed at length and in depth, the detailed technological and design proposals of some of the finest agencies in the country, then they ditched BCG and developed their own web sites.

This happens sometimes, but not often. It is one thing to lose a pitch to a competitor, but to have the pitch process abused is at best, lousy for team morale, and at worst an ethical violation. While technically Estée Lauder companies did not breach copyright, everybody involved walked away very disappointed, and more than a few New Yorkers switched their brand of perfume or cologne that week.