Brands
Facebook introduces new features for lead ads
MUMBAI: After the success of its lead ads that makes signing up for business information easy for people and more valuable for businesses, Facebook has announced new features for lead ads. In order to save time and effort, advertisers can now duplicate lead ad forms and edit specific fields across ad sets and campaigns.
The social media giant has also added new companies to the list of CRM partners that integrate with lead ads, including Constant Contact, InfusionSoft, Sparkroom and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. It has also partnered with Zapier and MailChimp to develop a solution that can automatically add Facebook leads to advertisers’ MailChimp lists.
Acknowledging that video is a powerful way to engage people and convey messages, Facebook now allows video to be used with lead ads before they click through to the form.
Another new feature that Facebook announced is customizable disclaimers. Advertisers now have additional options in the disclaimer portion of their lead ad form, including a new checkbox to give permission to share their information, a feature that may be helpful in countries where double opt-in may be required.
To further help out advertisers, especially in small businesses, Facebook has also introduced Ad create tool support. In addition to Power Editor and the API, lead ads are now available in the ads create tool, giving advertisers more flexibility in ad creation. More information including success stories can be found in the Facebook for Business blog post.
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
