MAM
Marketers to up email marketing spends by over 11% in 2012
NEW DELHI: Following the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) directive on usage of SMS for promotional messages, marketers plan to increase their budgets towards email marketing by more than 11 per cent in 2012.
According to ‘Gearing up for Growth’, India e-marketing outlook for 2012 conducted by Octane Marketing, as many as 35 per cent of those interviewed wanted to increase their email marketing.
The study showed that the top five industry verticals in India in terms of e-Marketing investment are Retail and Distribution (including online retail and ecommerce) – 32 per cent, Media and Entertainment – 17 per cent, IT and ITES – 11 per cent, Services and Consulting (including marketing agencies) – 9 per cent and Education – 8 per cent.
Customer Acquisition continues to be the primary goal for marketing initiatives over the last two years.
Social media initiatives are gaining momentum and email continues to be the most effective marketing channel. Social Media (68.8 per cent) and email Marketing (53.1 per cent) emerge as the top two online marketing initiatives that will see an increase in marketing investments in 2012, as compared to 2011.
A majority of India marketers (36 per cent) want a code of conduct by an industry body like the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), while 31.5 per cent of participants believe stronger anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM would curb SPAM campaigns in India.
There is a remarkable increase of 18 per cent in the number of India marketers who see the importance of integrating email and social media campaigns in 2012.
A high number of India marketers (62 per cent) feel that the email and SMS marketing programmes are effective in meeting agreed goals.
Comparative analysis of data revealed that more that 80 per cent of the respondents agree that integrated (email and SMS) campaigns influence conversion rates.
Reaching the Inbox (and not the Junk/Spam folder), increasing ROI and building subscribers list are seen to be the top three challenges for the last two successive years.
In 2011, an increased dependence was seen on email service providers or ESPs (like Octane) to provide assured inbox delivery of email messages (25.5 per cent respondents in 2011 V/s 19.2 per cent in 2010). There was a decline in the role of IT in ensuring inbox deliverability over the last year.
At The outset, the report says e-Marketing in India has seen unprecedented growth in recent years as an efficient distribution channel to reach out to the consumers, offering a unique value generating proposition for all stakeholders. This has been largely because of the high adoption growth of online and mobile technologies in India.
Internet usage in India has almost tripled over the last three years and there are approx. 100 million Internet users and 800 million mobile connections in the country. According to IMRB estimates, out of the 35 million claimed mobile Internet users, 26.3 million (75 per cent) are active mobile Internet users.
IAMAI says lower subscription rentals, availability of feature-rich cell phones at cheaper prices, increased PC and digital Literacy, greater awareness of the Internet medium are some of the reasons why mobile Internet penetration has risen in India. With the double digit rise in shipments of Smartphones in India in 2012, more and more users in India will have access to mobile Internet at a price point lower than ever before.
The Annual India e-Marketing Research 2012 is based on surveys conducted with reputed market leaders. The primary objective of this research report is to provide insights to marketers on the trends and technologies impacting e-Marketing in India in the last two years.
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.
