Brands
#Throwback2020: Best brand tweets in India
NEW DELHI: Twitter is a reflection of what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about. Over time brands across categories have leveraged Twitter’s ad offerings and influence to strengthen their presence among audiences. This year, as businesses pivoted to digital-first campaigns, Twitter emerged as an indispensable partner to launch something new and to connect with consumers. The constraints of 2020 encouraged brands to be more creative, thoughtful and personal, resulting in campaigns that warmed the heart and left people wanting more. Let’s look back at some brands and campaigns that stood out and made a difference with their Twitter salvos:
Best brand for speaking out and standing up: Axis Bank for #ReverseTheKhata
While nearly every industry was drastically impacted in 2020, the worst-hit were local vendors and small businesses, with many being pushed to the brink. Axis Bank took up the cause and asked people to #ReverseTheKhata, referencing the bond between customers and their corner shop through the maintenance of a ‘khata’. The khata is based on the trust and loyalty shared between the two parties. The campaign showed us different moments on the relationship between customers and small businesses, projecting the various emotions that bubble up from the simple statement – Khate mein likh do – urging people to reverse roles and support vendors who have continued to serve us while keeping our accounts. The campaign used a clever and relatable insight, connecting with its audience in an authentic way, making it the best brand for speaking out and standing up.
Small businesses have always supported us with credit transactions and kept their khatas open for us. Now it’s our turn to #ReverseTheKhata, by paying them in advance and helping
them reopen! #DilSeOpen pic.twitter.com/vy0yIfgpLC— Axis Bank (@AxisBank) June 13, 2020
Best #OnlyOnTwitter campaign: Netflix India for #NetflixMatchmaker
We love to watch our favourite series and films on Netflix and look for the best recommendations, including on Twitter. Netflix India built on this insight and launched #NetflixMatchmaker. This innovation allowed a customised bank of emojis to serve fans a personalised experience on Twitter, helping them decide what to watch. So, how does it work? When someone tweets an emoji with the hashtag #NetflixMatchmaker, they are rewarded with a content recommendation tied to that specific emoji. For example, tweeting a gift emoji might send a recommendation for a holiday movie. Netflix knew there would be an ongoing demand for recommendations, so #NetflixMatchmaker pops up every weekend to help people match their mood to what they could enjoy streaming. This is why they had the best #OnlyOnTwitter campaign this year.
Looking for some suggestions that s̶l̶e̶i̶g̶h̶ slay?
Tweet with the options below and #NetflixMatchMaker will send a film your way!
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) December 18, 2020
Best brand that brought the stadium to the phone: Star Sports
To make up for the lack of on-ground sports experiences, Star Sports turned to Twitter to bring fans closer to all the sporting action, especially on two key occasions – the Indian Super League (ISL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
During the ISL’s #TrueLove campaign on Twitter, Star Sports invited football fans to send in tweets with messages for their favourite footballers. At the trophy-lifting ceremony of what was a thrilling finale between ATK FC and Chennaiyin FC, these love-filled tweets presented in a physical form as Twitter-confetti and were showered upon the winning team covering them with #TrueLove for this one-of-a-kind activation.
Do you have a message for your favourite #HeroISL team in the Final?
Tweet your wishes to the players using #TrueLove, and they could feature in the confetti shot out at the #HeroISLFinal!#LetsFootball #ATKCFC pic.twitter.com/NmHlowBjmU
— Star Sports Football (@StarFootball) March 13, 2020
For the IPL, Star Sports cued people in for the opening match through reminders on Twitter, activated by the Heart-To-Remind functionality. The brand also changed their Twitter username to ‘Star Sports at 7:30 PM’ to mark the time slot as the viewing time for the IPL.
#Dream11IPL 2020 begins with MI v CSK at 7:30 PM!
this tweet and we'll give you a reminder when the match starts! pic.twitter.com/mXKdXza5VU
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 16, 2020
Their consistent usage of Twitter to connect fans to the games they love made Star Sports the brand that brought the stadium to the phone.
Best campaign celebrating fandom: Samsung India for #GalaxyS20PlusBTS edition
While launching the #GalaxyS20PlusBTS edition, Samsung routed its campaign towards the massive BTS fandom on Twitter. The brand launched a custom BTS quiz to engage with the K-pop band’s ARMY on the service who could put their love to the test and even stand to win a pair of the Galaxy Buds+ BTS edition. This carefully targeted campaign not only reached its audience but also had them glued to their Twitter timelines through a series of promoted tweets with creatives featuring various members of the band. The BTS edition campaign was part of a sustained promotion plan for the S20+, with the global launch event achieving millions of views worldwide. Samsung India’s clever use of Twitter to connect with their consumers made it the campaign that best celebrated fans.
Galaxy & BTS unite! Introducing the exclusive #GalaxyS20PlusBTS Edition in stunning Haze Purple colour. Take a fun quiz to test your fandom. Hurry! Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition up for grabs. T&C apply: https://t.co/79M3u2gMIU#Samsung
— Samsung India (@SamsungIndia) July 22, 2020
Best brand connection to the couch: Amazon Prime Video for #Mirzapur2
#Mirzapur2 hype on Twitter was real, evidenced by the many tweets begging Prime Video for the second season. As the OTT service finally prepared to premier the series, it decided to count down to the launch along with eager fans, and host a watch party to finally answer everyone’s wishes and get people watching (and reacting) together. Through a carousel events page, the brand curated a timeline of all conversations around #Mirzapur2 and also rolled out exclusive content leading up to the big day. A ‘Mirzapur throne’ emoji was also launched to fuel excitement.
Bhaukaal is nearing and we want you to be a part of it!
Date: October 22
Time: 11:30pm onwardsIske liye humare darwaze par zarur chale aana! #MirzapurOnPrime #MirzapurWatchPartyhttps://t.co/2nIRoHRcYL
— amazon prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) October 21, 2020
But that was not all, following the watch party, the show’s characters were leveraged to engage the audience via a personality test pairing people with their favourite #Mirzapur characters when engaged with the tweet. Their thoughtful end-to-end integration and celebration of such a popular show earned them the title of best brand connecting all of us to our couch.
If Twitter was #Mirzapur, which character would you be? Go ahead and click on 'Try Now' to find out!
— amazon prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) November 19, 2020
Best brand for pivoting when it counts: Uber India for #MoveWhatMatters
At a time when everyone was being encouraged to stay put, Uber India, a brand that is built on doing the opposite, responded in just the right way. Playing off their slogan to #MoveForward, they suggested we #MoveWhatMatters. The brand echoed what we were hearing from public health authorities, asking people to stay home and stay safe, while their drivers continued to serve India’s essential workers. Moreover, the ride-hailing app also urged people to come out in support of their driver-partners who had also been impacted by the pandemic and set up the Uber Care Driver Fund. In a time when people needed to be assured of their safety, Uber India made its priorities clear.
Over 75,000 families have already been reached out to, thanks to your contributions to the Uber Care Driver Fund. On behalf of the driver community, thank you India. There are many more who need our support. #MoveWhatMatters. Contribute here: https://t.co/ILnKRJ1FTY pic.twitter.com/6rjYJlHjV6
— Uber India (@Uber_India) May 1, 2020
Best virtual launch: Hyundai India for the TUCSON launch with #TheNextDimension
Hyundai India moved ahead and launched its new TUCSON via a magnificent (virtual) event called #TheNextDimension. Hyundai adopted a three-phased strategy for the launch; it acquired an active viewership through the Heart-To-Remind functionality, which reminded people to tune-in for the launch; it took over the service’s premium real estate with a promoted trend and livestream to maximise visibility, and to wrap up the launch it tweeted highlight videos from the event which were injected into people’s timelines via promoted tweets, making sure nobody missed the action. Despite not taking place on-ground, this campaign by Hyundai proved that launches can be as successful virtually. The live event recorded over 1 million views in the first 12 hours itself, making it a winner in the best virtual launch category.
Witness the Virtual World of Hyundai, #TheNextDimension Live Launch https://t.co/OeFqtxSWed
— Hyundai India (@HyundaiIndia) July 14, 2020
Best new brand on the block: Cred
Fintech start-up Cred was all over Twitter timelines in the best way. Launching its first-ever campaign with a series of videos, the brand made a strong impact, reaching new customers. The campaign was spearheaded by some of the strongest voices in the public space, including the founder himself. Moreover, picking up on a trend around nostalgia, they worked with some of the most iconic talent from the 90s and early 00s including, Govinda, Bappi Lahiri, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Anil Kapoor, Udit Narayan, and others in a creative way, ensuring mentions of CRED on Twitter reached new highs.
Sorry, Bappi Da. https://t.co/owaz8eTB0m
— CRED (@CRED_club) September 28, 2020
Best brand voice: Zomato
Restaurants may have been closed to visitors earlier this year, but delivery services like Zomato made themselves indispensable. And maybe because Zomato was experiencing it themselves, they knew just what to say to keep people on Twitter engaged. Keeping up with cultural moments and trends, the food delivery app stayed connected with its audience through conversations that were fun, light-hearted, and more often than not, perfectly hilarious. From being excited about a cricket match to being grumpy because of hunger pangs, Zomato engaged with its audience in one-on-one banter, replying and engaging with tweets. Adopting a sensitive voice, yet full of personality, the brand built its own community of followers making it the best brand voice on Twitter this year.
me looking at every dish while deciding what to order pic.twitter.com/KtFEgtwmGm
— zomato (@zomato) October 28, 2020
Best brand Fleet: IndiGo
Since the test launch of Fleets in June, several brands have embraced it with content designed especially for the format. IndiGo stood out by engaging with its followers through consistent and coherent messaging via Fleets. Adhering to the needs of its patrons, the brand has been using the format to keep passengers informed about flight schedules and other real-time updates. Their diving into this new Twitter format gives them the title of best brand Fleets!
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.
