Brands
DS Group takes Pulse candy to Anime India Convention in Kolkata
Candy brand eyes Gen-Z recall through experiential and creator-led play
KOLKATA: DS Group is taking its confectionery brand Pulse Candy into new cultural territory, marking its first foray into India’s anime fandom at the Anime India Convention 2026 in Kolkata.
The move signals a deliberate shift towards experience-led, youth-focused marketing as consumer brands chase attention in passion-driven spaces rather than traditional media. The two-day convention, held on 14 and 15 February, offers Pulse a testing ground for Gen-Z engagement at scale.
Pulse has set up a 24-square-metre experiential zone designed to fuse confectionery branding with anime and cosplay culture. The activation features well-known cosplay participants, including Alisa, popularly known as Ruru, portraying fan-favourite characters Momo and Marin to drive organic interaction and social sharing.
The brand is also deploying anime-themed photo booths and interactive gaming challenges such as “Race to Pulse” and “Grab the Pulse”, encouraging visitors to create and tag content across Instagram and other platforms. The strategy leans heavily on peer amplification and creator credibility rather than overt advertising.
“Anime is shaping Gen-Z culture through creativity and community,” said DS Group senior general manager, marketing—confectionery Arvind Kumar. He said the initiative reflects the company’s push towards immersive formats that blend entertainment with brand storytelling.
Pulse’s anime debut comes as the brand looks to extend its relevance beyond mass confectionery into youth-led subcultures. Launched in 2015, Pulse has led India’s hard-boiled candy segment for nine consecutive years, building its equity on unconventional flavours and high-impact marketing.
Industry executives view the initiative as part of a broader recalibration among FMCG brands, where experiential spend and cultural relevance are increasingly being treated as long-term brand investments rather than short-term promotions.
Brands
Komerz acquires Glassbox to launch creative commerce model in India
Brand storytelling meets AI-driven distribution as Komerz targets $345bn digital market
MUMBAI: London-headquartered commerce platform Komerz has acquired brand and marketing consultancy Glassbox, creating a single integrated system that blends creativity, distribution, and measurable sales.
The move introduces a new “creative commerce” model, combining AI-powered infrastructure, brand strategy, and performance measurement within one platform. By connecting upper-funnel brand building with lower-funnel conversion and repeat purchases, the combined entity aims to provide brands with a seamless growth engine.
Komerz Global CEO Ramesh Krishnamurthy said, “Creative commerce must operate across the funnel. Contextual content, data-led activation and distribution must function as one accountable growth engine.”
Komerz global COO Siddharth Shankar added, “Creative without distribution is theatre. Distribution without brand equity is discounting. Bringing both together lets brands build equity while driving measurable growth.”
Glassbox, founded in 2021 by Geetanjali Bhattacharji and Anil Nair, works across brand strategy, marketing transformation, and integrated communications. Bhattacharji said the integration reflects how “brand building must evolve from episodic campaigns to always-on, data-informed commerce frameworks.”
Komerz, valued around $330 million, operates across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America. The acquisition will help multinational corporations manage complex global portfolios while enabling challenger and D2C brands to scale across India’s digital commerce market, projected to reach $345 billion by 2030.
With this deal, Komerz is strengthening its global “creative commerce” footprint, following its recent acquisition of US retail measurement firm Pathformance, and positioning itself at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and technology.
