Brands
TVF and Pulse Candy join forces for hilarious MEMEvolution campaign
Mumbai: India’s original and foremost content creators, The Viral Fever (TVF), and leading consumer goods brand, Pulse Candy by DS Group, are set to revolutionise the digital advertising landscape with their innovative collaboration. The two influential entities have partnered together to create a first-of-its-kind MEME campaign. The campaign, titled “Pulse MEMEvolution with TVF,” is aimed at reimagining iconic scenes from top TVF shows to highlight the irresistible allure of Pulse candy.
Conceptualised and executed by Foxymoron, the full-funnel creative digital agency under Zoo Media Network, The “Pulse MEMEvolution with TVF” campaign has set its sights on achieving two main objectives. Firstly, it aims to cement the association between TVF and Pulse Candy, showcasing the creative synergy between the two powerhouses. Secondly, the campaign is set to go beyond traditional advertising by introducing an innovative approach, capitalising on MEMEs to engage with the audience in a fresh and relatable manner.
At the launch of this innovative campaign, marketing GM Arvind Kumar expressed, “We are excited to announce our collaboration with TVF for this groundbreaking MEME campaign. DS Group’s Pulse candy has been an integral part of our consumers’ lives, and like always we wanted to enhance our consumers’ experience by infusing elements of fun and joy. TVF’s unparalleled expertise in creating engaging content rendered them the ideal partner for this creative endeavour. We are confident that our campaign ‘Pulse MEMEvolution with TVF’ will resonate with our audience and become a memorable addition to their digital journey”.
This ground-breaking partnership entails a three-meme deal between TVF and Pulse Candy, with renowned digital agency Foxymoron handling the account to ensure seamless execution of the campaign.
Commenting on the campaign, FoxyMoron business head – North Alin Choubey, “At Foxymoron, we were thrilled to collaborate with TVF and Pulse candy by Pulse Candy for the Meme campaign. Associating Pulse Candy with life itself, we showcased its irresistible allure and deep connection with people, aka Pulse ke Deewane. Using memes and drawing inspiration from TVF’s iconic shows loved by India, we crafted a compelling narrative that the audience can relate to. This innovative approach celebrates India’s most loved candy, capturing the essence of its popularity. We take immense pride in delivering a heart-captivating campaign that speaks to the hearts of the audience.”
TVF has meticulously planned a robust social media strategy to amplify the campaign across its platforms. The promotion plan includes a series of collaboration posts between TVF and DS Group, making the most of their vast social media presence. Additionally, cross-promotions through engaging stories on internal channels like The Timeliners, The Screen Patti, and Girliyapa will further enhance the reach and visibility of the MEMEs. Notably, TVF will also release a special LinkedIn post, tapping into the professional network to widen the campaign’s audience reach.
Commenting on the collaboration, TVF president Vijay Koshy expressed his excitement, saying, “With TVF’s significant influence on India’s pop culture and the massive trend of audiences generating their own creative memes featuring TVF’s popular characters, an interesting opportunity has risen. Pass Pass Pulse Candy, renowned as the market leader in flavoured candy, recognized this user-driven trend and decided to join forces with us. This collaboration stands as an intelligent advertising campaign, seamlessly weaving our iconic shows with Pulse candy. At TVF, we are thrilled to be collaborating on this MEME campaign, aspiring to pioneer a new era of storytelling that strikes a chord with our diverse audience”.
As anticipation has been building among fans for the launch of this unprecedented meme collaboration, both TVF and Pulse by DS Group are poised to leave an indelible mark on the digital marketing landscape.
Get ready to embrace the laughter with Pulse MEMEvolution with TVF’!
Brands
Microsoft faces worst quarter since 2008 financial crisis
Cloud giant battles soaring AI costs and fierce competition from nimble startups.
MUMBAI: When the tech titan starts looking a little wobbly, even the Magnificent Seven can feel the tremors because Microsoft is currently starring in its own sequel, “Clouds and Doubts.” Microsoft is on track for its worst quarterly performance since the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Bloomberg, as investors grow increasingly uneasy about rising capital expenditure and intensifying competition from nimble AI firms. The company has been pouring money into AI infrastructure, yet markets are questioning when these hefty investments will finally deliver stronger revenue growth.
At the same time, investors are shifting away from traditional software stocks amid fears that AI startups such as Anthropic and OpenAI are developing autonomous agents capable of replacing established products, including those from Microsoft. Jonathan Cofsky, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, noted growing concern that customers may bypass Microsoft and deal directly with AI vendors, potentially disrupting its core business and putting pressure on pricing and margins.
Microsoft’s stock has tumbled 25 per cent in the first quarter, putting it on course for its largest drop since a 27 per cent fall in the fourth quarter of 2008. It has also emerged as the weakest performer among the so-called Magnificent Seven technology stocks, while a broader index tracking the group has fallen 14 per cent over the same period. The shares slipped a further 1.7 per cent after markets opened on Friday, marking a potential fourth consecutive session of declines.
Cofsky pointed out that Microsoft has become more capital intensive and that improved investor confidence will hinge on assurances that software growth will not slow materially. Despite the sell-off, the stock is now trading at less than 20 times projected earnings over the next 12 months, its lowest valuation level since June 2016. Its valuation remains slightly above that of the S&P 500 Index, although it has recently traded at a discount to the broader benchmark for the first time since 2015.
Bloomberg data shows Microsoft’s capital expenditure, including leases, is expected to surge to $146 billion in fiscal 2026, up around 66 per cent from $88 billion in fiscal 2025. Spending is projected to climb further to $170 billion in fiscal 2027 and $191 billion in fiscal 2028, based on average estimates. Investors are growing cautious about such levels of spending without clearer signs of stronger growth.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud division has reported a slight slowdown in growth compared with the previous quarter, while its Copilot AI product has seen limited user traction, prompting internal changes aimed at improving performance. Ben Reitzes, an analyst at Melius Research, warned in a March note that Microsoft’s upside in Azure could be constrained as the company works to address challenges related to its AI models and Copilot offering, adding that these issues are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.
Of the 67 analysts covering Microsoft, 63 maintain buy ratings, three hold ratings and one a sell rating. The average 12-month price target of $592 implies a potential upside of more than 64 per cent, the highest on record based on data going back to 2009. The stock is also trading below its 200-day moving average by the widest margin since 2009.
Reitzes suggested the dominance of buy ratings may indicate complacency among analysts, while highlighting risks in Microsoft’s productivity and business processes segment as well as its More Personal Computing division. In contrast, Tal Liani of Bank of America reinstated coverage with a buy rating, citing durable multi-year growth prospects across cloud and AI. Jake Seltz, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, maintained that Microsoft retains strong long-term value and that its AI strategy is likely to be validated over time, viewing near-term concerns as a potential opportunity for longer-term investors.
The report highlights a growing divergence in market sentiment, with optimism around long-term AI potential weighed against immediate execution risks and investor uncertainty. In the world of big tech, even the mightiest clouds can have silver linings but right now, Microsoft’s investors are scanning the horizon for clearer skies.
