MAM
GoaFest’14 Day 2: 190 awards given away across 9 categories
GOA: The Day 2 of the ninth edition of GoaFest got bigger and grander, as 190 awards were given away across 9 categories. Alok Nanda & Company and JWT were the only agencies that took home a Grand Pix for design and direct categories respectively.
Take a look at the details of who made it to the top positions in each of the 9 categories…
The Print Craft category received 189 entries of which 27 made it to winners’ list. There were nine jury members for assessing this category. For this category Taproot picked eight Abbys, JWT took away four Abbys and Umbrella design added three Abbys to its kitty.
There were 290 entries for the Outdoor and Ambient, out of which 29 entries stood as clear winners. 10 jury members were on board for this category. JWT got seven Abbys, Taproot added three and FCB Ulka received three Abbys for this category.
For the Design category, agencies sent 188 entries and 25 Abbys were given out. Eight industry veterans judged this category. Alok Nanda & Company and Umbrella Designs won five Abbys each. Taproot got three abbys.
In the Direct category there were 55 entries and 13 winners. While Taproot received three Abbys, JWT, DDB Mudra Group and M&C Saatchi picked two Abbys each. The category was judged by nine jury members.
Branded content received 54 entries. There were 21 winners in this category and had 10 jury members judging it. Madison World received three Abbys, while MTV India, Colors, Viacom 18 Media and PHD India got two Abbys each.
The Promo and Activation category got 102 entries and there were 18 winners. Judged by jury members, JWT and Candid Marketing received three Abbys each. Milestone Brandcom got two Abbys.
PR and Broadcaster which were the newbies in GoaFest got overwhelming response. The Advertising Club and chairman of the Awards Governing Council president Pratap Bose mentioned that the 10 jury member team for the PR category were excited and saw some good pieces of work. In the PR category 24 awards were given away out of the 42 entries received. Adfactors advertising bagged five Abbys.
In Broadcaster category 99 entries were received and 33 winners were declared. Star won 11 awards in this category.
Click here for the detailed result sheet
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.
