MAM
Netflix, Jio lead in customer experience: Kantar report
NEW DELHI: Jio and Airtel have emerged as the top telecom operators in terms of customer experience, according to a report by consulting firm Kantar. Among streaming platforms, Netflix delivered the most consumer satisfaction, followed by Amazon.
Music streaming services like Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music also made the list as "special mentions" for providing great customer experience.
The new CX+ TMT report released by Kantar evaluates companies in the telecom, media and technology sectors based on a unique combination of their experience scores, and on dimensions that are critical to the customer's journey.
The study analysed responses from over 6,000 customers across 13 cities in the country in early 2020 to find out key brands in the TMT sector that consumers are most satisfied with.
In the mobile device segment, Apple topped the list, displacing Xiaomi as the technology brand that provides the best customer experience. OnePlus and Samsung tied for third place. As per the report, Apple has 1.8x higher engagement levels than those at the lower end of the index.
Tata Sky retained the top spot in the satellite service provider category.
The landscape across the TMT sectors has changed drastically over the last one year, said Sushmita Balasubramaniam, domain lead for CX and Commerce – South Asia, insights division, Kantar. "Consumers' adoption of and dependence on digital, whether for basic everyday living, working, studying or entertainment has presented enormous challenges to companies in these sectors. And, the changes in usage of products and services will also mean that customer priorities on the kind of experience they are seeking will be different from the pre-COVID era."
Soumya Mohanty, chief client officer, South Asia, insights division, Kantar explained that there will be vigorous competition in the TMT sector owing to tech convergence and emerging global media giants.
“Be it network services providers, handheld device brands or streaming media providers, all will leverage customer data to build personalised journeys, CX and owning the relationship with the end user will become increasingly important,” added Mohanty.
AD Agencies
Omnicom Q4: Posts big revenue gains amid restructuring
Company trims underperforming units and launches $5B share buyback to reward investors.
MUMBAI: Omnicom has decided that in the world of global advertising, it is better to be a big fish in an even bigger pond. The marketing powerhouse, which recently swallowed its rival IPG, has kicked off 2026 by showing the market that it is not just buying growth – it is engineering it. In a series of bold strategic manoeuvres, the group has doubled its projected cost-savings target to a whopping $1.5 billion over the next three years.
The fourth-quarter results for 2025, released on 18 February 2026, paint a picture of a company in the midst of a massive structural makeover. Reported revenue for the quarter shot up 27.9 per cent to $5,528.8 million, a figure heavily bolstered by the first full month of IPG’s operations under the Omnicom umbrella. For the full year, revenue reached $17,271.9 million, marking a 10.1 per cent increase as the company integrated heavyweights like Acxiom Real iD and Flywheel Commerce Cloud into its next generation Omni platform.
However, bigger does not always mean tidier. The group reported a Gaap net loss of $941.1 million for the final quarter, or $4.02 per diluted share. This was primarily due to a massive $1.1 billion bill for severance and real estate repositioning, alongside a $543.4 million loss on the sale of non-strategic businesses. When these one-off integration headaches are stripped away, the underlying performance looks far more robust, with adjusted net income reaching $607.7 million and earnings per share of $2.59, comfortably ahead of the prior year’s $2.41.
The group is also trimming the fat elsewhere. Management has identified underperforming and non-strategic units representing approximately $2.5 billion in revenue for exit or sale. Meanwhile, smaller majority-owned markets bringing in $700 million are being moved to minority positions. This portfolio pruning is designed to focus the New Omnicom on higher-growth areas like media, creative content, and data-driven consulting.
Investors, it seems, are being kept sweet with a significant return of capital. The board has approved a fresh $5 billion share repurchase program, initiating an immediate $2.5 billion accelerated buyback. This comes on top of $549.6 million paid out in common dividends during the year.
Performance across the sectors was a mixed bag but generally positive in the heavy-hitting divisions. Media and advertising revenue surged 34.4 per cent in the fourth quarter to $3,322.6 million, while public relations grew 12.4 per cent to $500.8 million. On the flip side, branding and retail commerce saw a 7.0 per cent dip. Regionally, the US remains the engine room, with revenue jumping 51.9 per cent to $2,869.1 million in the quarter, while the UK saw a respectable 18.8 per cent rise to $533.2 million.
With a total debt of $9.1 billion following the IPG acquisition, the group is leaning on its cash-generative nature to keep its investment-grade credit rating intact. Free cash flow for the year stood at $2,226.1 million, up from $1,964.7 million in 2024. As the company moves into 2026, the focus is firmly on the Connected Capability model, essentially ensuring that its global army of talent is pulling in the same direction, and more importantly, within a much leaner budget.






