MAM
Sumeer Mathur joins DDB Mudra North
MUMBAI: DDB Mudra Group has announced the appointment of Sumeer Mathur as DDB Mudra North strategic planning senior VP and head.
Based out of DDB Mudra North’s Gurgaon office, Mathur will work closely with national strategic planning head Aditya Kanthy, to lead planning and brand management for the agency.
Before joining DDB Mudra North, Sumeer was associated with JWT (Delhi). During his tenure at JWT, he led award winning campaigns for Airtel Money and Microsoft. Apart from JWT, he has also worked with Rediffusion Y&R, Lowe Mumbai, Contract and SSC&B Lintas.
On joining DDB Mudra North, Mathur said, “I am quite excited by the opportunity DDB Mudra North offers. While many agencies talk about the change in communication landscape, DDB Mudra Group seems to be the only one that has multiple disciplines working together to build brands under one roof. Too often the area of influence of the planner remains constricted to cracking an insight that turns into a TV campaign. I was also drawn to the culture of the agency which came through during my interactions with Madhukar, Aditya and Vandana.”
Mathur brings to the agency an experience of over 15 years in communications across brands while being based in Mumbai and Delhi. He has worked with leading brands, across categories ranging from automobiles (Hyundai & Tata motors) FMCG (GSK, Unilever, Colgate Palmolive and Unicharm), household appliances and home electronics (LG and Microsoft), social health (USAID), airlines (Kingfisher airlines, Spice Jet) and hospitality (Taj Hotels & Resorts). He has also undertaken regional and global responsibilities for Unilever Brands (Fair & lovely, Lifebuoy shampoo, Clinic all Clear) for the South East Asian markets.
Kanthy said, “We’re thrilled to have Sumeer on board. He’s an incredible talent. Vandana, Sambit and Sumeer make a formidable team in Delhi. He’s excited about working with all the DDB Mudra Group agencies under one roof and leading our bright young team to create influence and apply creative thinking for business growth. We’ve got a lot to do to be the best agency in the city and he’s up for it.”
Added DDB Mudra North president Vandana Das, “I’m so excited to have Sameer as part of the DDB Mudra group in Delhi. Sumeer is a dynamic leader & brings with him experience & maturity that is required to strengthen existing brands while ensuring that we are on a growth drive. I believe that he is a great asset & we can use his skills and talents in making our agency reach new heights.”
Brands
Honasa’s Varun Alagh targets next Rs 500 crore brands as profit doubles
Profit doubles as Mamaearth rebounds and new labels race to scale
MUMBAI: Honasa Consumer’s co-founder and chief executive officer Varun Alagh has set his sights on building the company’s next crop of Rs 500 crore brands, as the beauty and personal care firm delivered record revenue and nearly doubled its profit.
The Mamaearth parent reported revenue of Rs 602 crore, up 21.7 per cent year on year, with volume growth of 30 per cent. Ebitda rose to Rs 66 crore at a margin of 10.9 per cent, while profit after tax reached its highest-ever quarterly level.
“We have delivered our highest-ever quarterly revenue and almost doubled our PAT,” Alagh said. “The fundamentals we have rebuilt over the past few quarters are clearly delivering outcomes.”
With Mamaearth back to double-digit growth and The Derma Co sustaining strong momentum, Alagh believes the next wave of brands is ready to step up.
“It’s a race to become the next Rs 500 crore brand,” he said. “Reginald Men, Dr. Sheth’s, BBlunt, even Staze in colour cosmetics, each of them has the right to win in its category.”
Honasa’s portfolio of young brands grew more than 25 per cent during the quarter. The Derma Co, its science-led skincare label, has now achieved double-digit Ebitda margins and continues to gain share in sunscreen and actives-based skincare.
Mamaearth, once the company’s sole growth engine, has returned to the teens in year-on-year growth after a strategic reset.
“We focused on superior formulations, sharper communication and six core categories,” Alagh said. “We are seeing strong share gains, not just growth riding the market.”
Importantly, over 90 per cent of Mamaearth’s growth came from existing distributors and large retail partners, reflecting stronger consumer pull rather than mere expansion of reach.
From a channel perspective, e-commerce grew over 20 per cent, while general trade and modern trade delivered more than 25 per cent growth in secondary sales. Direct distribution now contributes nearly 80 per cent of revenue.
Honasa has also made a calculated entry into men’s skincare with the acquisition of Hyderabad-based Reginald Men. Alagh believes the category is at an inflection point.
“In the last two to three years, we’ve seen searches for ‘sunscreen for men’ and ‘face wash for men’ grow multi-fold,” he said. “Men want multi-benefit products without complicated regimes.”
Beyond category expansion, the acquisition strengthens Honasa’s footprint in South India and broadens its talent base.
The company reiterated its target of expanding Ebitda margins by around 100 basis points annually.
“Our endeavour is to unlock at least 100 basis points every year through a mix of A&P efficiency and overhead leverage,” said chief financial officer Raman Preet Sohi.
While advertising spends in absolute terms have risen, improved effectiveness has driven percentage efficiencies. Gross margins remained broadly stable, with guidance to maintain levels above 70 per cent.
With legacy FMCG giants sharpening their digital play and acquiring new-age brands, Alagh remained unfazed.
“Competition is not new to us,” he said. “We were born in categories where much larger players existed. The real value gets created when you focus on the consumer and where the consumer is moving.”
For Honasa, that focus now extends beyond one hero brand. As Alagh put it, the company is not content with a single success story. It wants a stable of them, each marching towards the Rs 500 crore mark.
