MAM
DMA: India unveils new brand identity
Mumbai: Direct Marketing Association: India (DMA: India) has donned a new ‘avatar‘ for its corporate brand to mainstream direct marketing as an overarching arm of marketing.
The logo has been conceptualised by DMA‘s creative agency RAPP. The new strapline of the logo reads ‘Marketing Made Smarter‘.
The new logo has a contemporary look and has used vibrant solid colors to enhance the position of authority and visibility. It has a speech blurb embedded in the D of DMA to signify its dialogue or communications objective, the company said.
DMA: India CEO Vatsal Asher said, “With direct marketing going digital, it was important to introduce a new positioning and a platform which resonates with the modern smart methodology of business. We wanted to give it a modern feel without changing the core identity. The new brand identity of DMA: India is based on the rebirth of direct marketing in the digital age and communications around it. We found the RAPP approach to be thorough and insightful. Their strategic thinking and drive gives us the confidence to believe that RAPP will be our creative partners in India and we are looking forward to making this convention popular in India with their help.”
Tribal DDB and RAPP India president Venkat Mallikarjunan said, “New age Direct Marketing agencies are taking ahead the good things about direct marketing like the discipline, the performance and ROI focus while not limiting themselves to direct mail as a medium. The re-crafted Direct Marketing agency is now a genuinely new age lead agency with significant skills in new media, new age engagement tools, and new age insight frameworks, as well as, brand thinking. The DMA: India wants to propagate this change and get brand and business leaders in India to take notice. At RAPP we have been the leading edge of this change across the world and are delighted to be partnering the DMA of India in this endeavor.”
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.
