MAM
Average ad duration on the rise again?
Whenever there is a slowdown and results in belt-tightening by companies, one of the direct casualties is the duration or length of the television commercial (TVC). During recessionary times, average ad duration on television plummets not only because advertisers take lesser time to convey their messages but also because of various consumer promotions that are run with even shorter duration.
AdEx India has observed that in the last few years, the average ad duration plummeted to just above the 20 seconds mark. This raised a fear among ad agencies and broadcasters that if this phenomenon continues, we will have increasing clutter and frequency of TVCs thereby reducing the effectiveness of television advertising.
However, years 2003 and 2004 ended with a surprise and posted an average ad size above 23 seconds mark. The average ad size during 2003-2004 has touched a level that we haven’t seen in the last five years! A record of sorts as shown in chart below!
Let’s look at the ad duration slots used in 2004. The pie shows that 30 seconds commercial is the most preferred one (with 27 per cent of the advertising share) followed by 20 second commercial contributing 19 per cent.
As a result, one is forced to ponder on the following:
a) Does this signify that the Indian advertisers’ fraternity showed sound judgment by not falling prey to frequency trap and therefore bettering their creative quality?
b) Also, what kinds of product categories have led this change?
To answer whether this is a freak phenomenon, let’s look at the Top 10 spending categories on Television in January-December 2004.
Here we see mixed results – We see that the Top 1 category – Shampoos uses large average ad sizes. However, the second Top category – Toilet soaps have the shortest ad sizes among the Top 10.
Let’s also have a look at the pattern of average ad sizes across the months during 2001-2004. Here we will see a very unusual behavior – average ad sizes observes dip during the festival season across 2001-2004 though 2002 was an exceptional case.
Brands
Bajaj Consumer Care FY26 profit rises to Rs 193.7 crore
Revenue climbs to Rs 1,092 crore as profit grows 49 per cent YoY
MUMBAI: Hair today, growth tomorrow Bajaj Consumer Care Limited seems to have found its shine again, posting a sharp jump in profitability even as it doubled down on brand spends and expansion. The company reported a net profit of Rs 193.7 crore for FY26, marking a strong 49 per cent rise from Rs 130.1 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations also grew to Rs 1,092.2 crore, up from Rs 942.8 crore a year earlier, signalling steady demand momentum across its portfolio.
For the March quarter, profit stood at Rs 64.1 crore, compared to Rs 31.5 crore in the corresponding period last year, while revenue rose to Rs 308.3 crore from Rs 243.5 crore.
The performance came despite a notable increase in spending. Advertising and sales promotion expenses climbed to Rs 168.3 crore in FY26, up from Rs 137.8 crore in FY25, reflecting continued investment in brand building. Other expenses also rose to Rs 151.3 crore from Rs 134.2 crore, indicating a broader push towards growth.
Operating efficiency, however, held firm. Profit before tax increased to Rs 234.8 crore in FY26 from Rs 157.7 crore a year earlier, supported by disciplined cost management across materials and inventory.
On the balance sheet, the company’s total assets expanded to Rs 959.1 crore as of March 31, 2026, compared to Rs 931.9 crore a year earlier. Other equity rose to Rs 780.3 crore, reinforcing a stronger financial base.
Cash flow from operations saw a significant uptick, reaching Rs 196.9 crore in FY26, nearly three times the Rs 67.9 crore recorded in FY25, highlighting improved working capital management.
However, the year also saw aggressive capital allocation. The company spent Rs 190.2 crore on share buybacks, contributing to a net cash outflow of Rs 196.5 crore from financing activities. Cash and cash equivalents stood at Rs 6.8 crore at the end of the year, down from Rs 25.6 crore.
Even as investments in subsidiaries and assets continued, the numbers suggest a company balancing growth ambitions with shareholder returns keeping one eye on expansion and the other on efficiency.
With margins improving and revenue steadily climbing, Bajaj Consumer Care appears to be combing through the competition with renewed confidence.
