AD Agencies
Adsgrove Digital appoints Aanchal Kapoor as chief executive
GURGAON: Aanchal Kapoor, who spent over a decade at media houses including GroupM, Madison and OMD, has been named chief executive of Adsgrove Digital, a Gurgaon marketing agency betting that brands can no longer afford to separate storytelling from sales.
Kapoor joins founder Rajkumar Singh, formerly vice president at ANS Commerce, to lead the agency’s branding and performance operations. Her appointment signals Adsgrove’s push into what it calls “brandformance”, a clunky portmanteau meant to capture the fusion of long-term brand building with short-term performance metrics.
“Creativity gives brands their soul; data gives them direction,” said Kapoor, who has worked with LG, Shell, Bose, Honda and Duracell. “Our mission at Adsgrove is to blend both seamlessly to deliver meaningful, measurable impact.”
The agency’s pitch is straightforward: every rupee spent on advertising should be tracked, optimised and justified. Kapoor’s mantra, “Each penny needs to be counted, and we’re making it count,” reflects the pressure marketers face to prove return on investment in real time.
Adsgrove offers the usual menu of services (branding, performance marketing, social media, search optimisation) but claims to stand apart by refusing to treat brand building and direct response as separate disciplines. The agency uses automation and analytics dashboards to tweak campaigns on the fly, and has adopted what it calls “search everywhere optimisation”, adding answer engines, generative search and voice to traditional search engine work.
Whether “brandformance” catches on as more than jargon remains to be seen. But Kapoor’s appointment suggests that agencies, like their clients, are done treating brand awareness and sales conversions as if they live on different planets.
AD Agencies
Publicis posts €4.19bn Q1 revenue, 6.4 per cent growth; backs FY outlook
Ad giant signals Q2 acceleration as AI and new deals power momentum
PARIS: Publicis Groupe continues to outperform the industry, delivering a strong start to 2026 under Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun. Despite a volatile global macro environment, the company has now outpaced the industry for nearly 20 consecutive quarters.
For Q1 2026, total revenue reached €4,191 million, up from €4,161 million last year, with organic growth of 6.4 per cent. Net revenue, which excludes pass-through costs, stood at €3,460 million, reflecting organic growth of 4.5 per cent.
Exchange rates had a negative impact of €268 million, mainly due to a weaker US dollar and pound sterling. Acquisitions, including Adge.AI and 160over90, contributed an additional €46 million.
Performance across regions was largely positive, with some variation:
- North America, accounting for 59 per cent of net revenue, grew 4.7 per cent
- Europe recorded growth of 3.9 per cent, led by the UK at 6.2 per cent, while France grew 1.6 per cent
- Asia Pacific posted 5.9 per cent growth, driven by China at 11.7 per cent
- Latin America grew 13.3 per cent
- Middle East and Africa declined 5.1 per cent due to geopolitical challenges
AI-powered marketing services, which now make up 86 per cent of the business, grew 5.6 per cent. However, the technology segment, representing 14 per cent of revenue, declined slightly as clients reduced spending on large-scale transformation projects.
Sharing his outlook, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment. Organic revenue growth reached 6.4%, leading to 4.5% in net and further increasing the gap with our peers.” He added that the company remains confident of delivering industry-leading performance. “We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4 to 5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2 despite a higher comparable.”
Publicis continued its expansion with the acquisition of Adge.AI in March, followed by 160over90 in April to strengthen its sports and culture marketing capabilities.
Net financial debt stood at €1,156 million at the end of March, reflecting a seasonal shift from the net cash position at the end of 2025. Average net debt over the past twelve months was €1,035 million.
The company has reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting net revenue organic growth of 4 to 5 per cent in 2026. It also anticipates an operating margin slightly above 18.2 per cent and free cash flow of approximately €2.1 billion.
With expectations of stronger performance in the second quarter, Publicis remains well positioned to sustain its growth momentum.
