AD Agencies
MediaCom Bags media mandate for ShareChat
MUMBAI: ShareChat, India’s leading regional social media platform, has appointed GroupM’s media agency MediaCom to handle its media mandate. The mandate pre-dominantly includes media planning for the brand’s first commercial in Tamil language.
ShareChat is a social media and content consumption platform which allows its users to access the Internet in their native language. It’s a hassle- free way for first-time internet users to share their thoughts, emotions and opinions and become friends with others without any language barriers.
Commenting on the newly formed partnership, Mr. Sunil Kamath, Chief Business Officer, ShareChat said, “Tamil Nadu is one of the fastest growing userbase for ShareChat. With the campaign ‘Tamizhan da! Un Nanben da! we want to celebrate ShareChat’s success in the market. We are extremely excited about our first brand advertisement in Tamil and we believe that MediaCom’s experience and understanding of the market will help us penetrate and grow in India with their unique planning tools.”
Commenting on the win, Navin Khemka, CEO, MediaCom South Asia, said, “Regional content is substantial, and it has captured the Indian market over time as the mass demand for it is growing exponentially. Also, the penetration of such platforms is more because of the varied features they offer. We are very excited to partner with ShareChat and help in growing the popularity of the brand.”
The account will be managed and supervised by the MediaCom Delhi office under the supervision of Sudipto Chatterjee, General Manager, MediaCom.
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.
