Fabrizio Freda, who joined Estée Lauder a year ago as president, will take the CEO reins from William Lauder on July 1 as the company faces formidable challenges from both inside and outside, Ellen Bryon reports. Lauder, 48, will assume the role of executive chairman, and his father, Leonard Lauder, will become chairman emeritus. Estée Lauder's 29 upscale beauty brands have long been encouraged to maintain a fierce sibling rivalry. Freda, a 23-year Procter & Gamble veteran, wants to eliminate the inefficiencies inherent to that competition. "If we do market research on how consumers are behaving in this economic …

Tesla has unveiled its Model S salon, which is intended to propel the niche producer of the $109,000, battery-powered Roadster into the broader mass market. The full-size, luxury sedan runs at least 160 miles per full charge (a deluxe battery extends the range to 300 miles) and has a base price of $49,900 (after a $7,500 federal rebate). It could go into production in late 2011, according to USA Today. Tesla founder Elon Musk, who made his fortune as a co-founder of PayPal, tells Financial Times that he may resort to taking a big investment from a major automobile …

The percentage of respondents to The Gallup Poll who say the economy is getting better has been improving for the past two weeks. Twenty-nine percent took an optimistic view Monday through Wednesday, which is the highest number since July 2007. Never mind that 66% continue to say the economy is getting worse; the rosier point of view signals a significant improvement in public attitudes after nearly two years of downbeat forecasts, Susan Page writes. In fact, the percentage envisioning better times ahead has nearly doubled since March 9, when 15% said the economy was improving and 78% said it was …

Better-than-expected earnings from big consumer brand Best Buy, ConAgra and Dr Pepper Snapple Group sent the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 174 points Thursday to its highest level in six weeks.

Whoa. What happened while we took a hard-earned slumber from the tsunamic economic downturn last night? Things are maybe/could be/hopefully on the upswing? And everybody's got religion on the social responsibility front all of a sudden? First, the Washington Post reports this morning that analysts have some reason for hope after months of "relentlessly grim" economic news. "What gives some economists hope is a recent string of not-so-bad news that suggests, at least for now, that the recession is not getting worse," Annys Shin and Renae Merle write. "Retail sales, for instance, have held steady recently. And …

Continuing on the corporate-do-good, theme, Emily Bryson York reports that KFC is filling in potholes in Louisville, Ky., in exchange for stamping the fresh pavement with "Re-freshed by KFC." The chalky mark, made by stencil, is likely to fade away in the next downpour, Emily Bryson York writes. "This program is a perfect example of that rare and optimal occurrence when a company can creatively market itself and help local governments and everyday Americans across the country," says Javier Benito, exec vp-marketing and food innovation at KFC. Although I'm not sure how this program is helping you and …

Walt Disney, meanwhile, is offering to plant a tree in the Brazilian rainforest for every ticket it sells in the U.S. during the first week run of its eco-feature "Earth," which opens nationwide on Earth Day, April 22. The movie tells the story of climate change on the planet primarily through the experiences of three animal "families" of polar bears, African elephants and whales, Brian Quinton reports. The trees will be planted in the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil, which is about 7% of its original size and considered to be the most endangered rainforest area on the planet. …

PepsiCo's G2 and over-the-counter allergy relief medication Zyrtec topped the list of most successful product introductions last year, according to Information Resources Inc.'s annual New Product Pacesetters report. Experts say G2's success was all about the timing, Elaine Wong and Kenneth Hein report. "It tapped into the burgeoning awareness among consumers of the high-calorie count even among healthy-positioned beverages like Gatorade and Vitaminwater -- PepsiCo itself having stoked that awareness with Gatorade sibling Propel's attacks on Vitaminwater," says Gerry Khermouch, editor of Beverage Business Insights. Johnson & Johnson's Zyrtec garnered $316 million in first-year sales since its January 2008 …

Post Foods is launching a cheeky ad campaign for Grape Nuts that is aimed at men, Suzanne Vranica reports. It includes a Web site on MSN. "The Guy's Manual" http://theguysmanual.msn.com/?Category=catID1&Id=a1that has dozens of two-minute videos with titles such as "Breaking Up With a Co-Worker" and "Dropping a Belt Size Before Your Class Reunion." The site also offers tips on topics like restoring vintage cars and beating your boss at golf. The campaign's print ads, which will run in Sports Illustrated, feature men fishing and golfing and include the new slogan "That Takes Grape Nuts." "When you tackle something …