Brands
‘Mary Kom’ a hit amongst advertisers
MUMBAI: MC Mary Kom winning the Bronze in Olympics made news everywhere and so did the announcement of her biopic starring Priyanka Chopra. The news not only excited the viewers and audiences, but it has also thrilled the advertisers.
The marketing leaders found a perfect opportunity to be associated with the brand ‘Mary Kom.’
The biopic has partnered with 20 brands including Havmor, Monte Carlo, Usha International, Artemis Hospitals, Edelweiss, Tokio Life Insurance and many more. Media channels like Ten Sports and India TV have also been incorporated in the movie.
Viacom18 Motion Pictures marketing head Rudrarup Dutta says, “Powerful stories like Mary Kom reaches out to all sections of society. It also touches the lives of people across demographics and interests. The story lends itself to collegial propositions with brands.”
“All the brands have been woven into the movie’s script,” he adds.
To leverage the integration, the brands too are promoting the movie through co-branded TVC, radio and digital contests. For instance, Mother Dairy has a TV campaign which promotes its product featuring Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom.
Dutta says that the biopic became a sensation from the moment it was announced. “And due to its association with names like Viacom 18, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Priyanka Chopra and Mary Kom, the brands were interested in getting attached to the name since day one.”
Even though Dutta did not comment on the cost of the movie or the revenue garnered by the brands, he mentions that the partnerships is giving the movie an impact value of Rs 20 crore – 25 crore.
In the past, too, films have incorporated brands in the script by giving them prominent visibility in scenes like Coca-Cola in Taal (1999) and more recently, Nokia in Chennai Express.
The film production house organised ‘Cineshorts,’ a short-film contest, which allowed aspiring filmmakers and documentary makers to submit five-minute long films on the theme ‘Against All Odds’. According to the marketing head, this was purely a Viacom 18 initiative and the associated brands did not sponsor the contest.
On 5 September, Mary Kom will hit 1800-2000 screens in India and around 300 screens internationally. While Zee has the music rights, Colors has the satellite rights for the movie.
Viacom 18 earlier hit gold with a biopic on Milkha Singh and now hopes that it will be able to punch its way in box-office with Mary Kom.
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
