MAM
Havas Media wins integrated media mandate for myITreturn.com
MUMBAI: Havas Media Group India has won the integrated media mandate for myITreturn.com, a provider of tax filing and related services for individuals, professionals and small businesses.
The account, which includes both digital and traditional duties, will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office.
myITreturn.com managing director Saakar Yadav said, “Filing of tax is like the school exam you know you must take so our aim is to make this entire process fluid and intuitive for the on-the-move global Indian whether in India or abroad. We were looking at a mobile-first strategy, which dovetailed into digital and a media mix to connect with our audiences. Havas Media got the brief at first shot and was able to deliver the strategy, creativity and speed that we were expecting.”
Speaking about the the myITreturn mobile app, he further added, “We are confident that the myITreturn mobile app will help millions of tax filers to file their tax return with ease and also help them track the status of their tax return.”
Havas Media Group India and South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar said, “Filing of taxes is an essential category so it’s important to get creative, catch the customer at the right moment in their media journey and encourage them to engage with the product. Though challenging if you make the path meaningful, this could be your long-term customer especially in this category. Today people want things simple, quick and reliable. This is a very interesting win for us and we are happy to partner with such a dynamic team.”
“We are delighted to have been entrusted with this mandate and share the same entreupreunial spirit with myITreturn. Mobile and digital will be at the core and we will use a 360 degree media solution to connect with the right audience. With the tax filing season fast approaching in the country we plan to roll-out the campaign soon,” added Havas Media India managing director Mohit Joshi.
Havas Media Digital Head Ranjoy Dey said, “This is a unique service with a growing demand amongst the youth who are hard pressed for time but keen to comply to this requirement as easily and conveniently as possible. Connecting the audience to this platform will be an exciting journey.”
AD Agencies
Omnicom Q4: Posts big revenue gains amid restructuring
Company trims underperforming units and launches $5B share buyback to reward investors.
MUMBAI: Omnicom has decided that in the world of global advertising, it is better to be a big fish in an even bigger pond. The marketing powerhouse, which recently swallowed its rival IPG, has kicked off 2026 by showing the market that it is not just buying growth – it is engineering it. In a series of bold strategic manoeuvres, the group has doubled its projected cost-savings target to a whopping $1.5 billion over the next three years.
The fourth-quarter results for 2025, released on 18 February 2026, paint a picture of a company in the midst of a massive structural makeover. Reported revenue for the quarter shot up 27.9 per cent to $5,528.8 million, a figure heavily bolstered by the first full month of IPG’s operations under the Omnicom umbrella. For the full year, revenue reached $17,271.9 million, marking a 10.1 per cent increase as the company integrated heavyweights like Acxiom Real iD and Flywheel Commerce Cloud into its next generation Omni platform.
However, bigger does not always mean tidier. The group reported a Gaap net loss of $941.1 million for the final quarter, or $4.02 per diluted share. This was primarily due to a massive $1.1 billion bill for severance and real estate repositioning, alongside a $543.4 million loss on the sale of non-strategic businesses. When these one-off integration headaches are stripped away, the underlying performance looks far more robust, with adjusted net income reaching $607.7 million and earnings per share of $2.59, comfortably ahead of the prior year’s $2.41.
The group is also trimming the fat elsewhere. Management has identified underperforming and non-strategic units representing approximately $2.5 billion in revenue for exit or sale. Meanwhile, smaller majority-owned markets bringing in $700 million are being moved to minority positions. This portfolio pruning is designed to focus the New Omnicom on higher-growth areas like media, creative content, and data-driven consulting.
Investors, it seems, are being kept sweet with a significant return of capital. The board has approved a fresh $5 billion share repurchase program, initiating an immediate $2.5 billion accelerated buyback. This comes on top of $549.6 million paid out in common dividends during the year.
Performance across the sectors was a mixed bag but generally positive in the heavy-hitting divisions. Media and advertising revenue surged 34.4 per cent in the fourth quarter to $3,322.6 million, while public relations grew 12.4 per cent to $500.8 million. On the flip side, branding and retail commerce saw a 7.0 per cent dip. Regionally, the US remains the engine room, with revenue jumping 51.9 per cent to $2,869.1 million in the quarter, while the UK saw a respectable 18.8 per cent rise to $533.2 million.
With a total debt of $9.1 billion following the IPG acquisition, the group is leaning on its cash-generative nature to keep its investment-grade credit rating intact. Free cash flow for the year stood at $2,226.1 million, up from $1,964.7 million in 2024. As the company moves into 2026, the focus is firmly on the Connected Capability model, essentially ensuring that its global army of talent is pulling in the same direction, and more importantly, within a much leaner budget.
