MAM
IAS launches Election Lab
Mumbai: Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimisation platform, has announced the launch of the IAS Election Lab. Led by IAS research and insights, data science, and brand safety specialists, the IAS Election Lab aims to provide strategic guidance and actionable insights for advertisers during the global election season.
“As election season intensifies, marketers must be increasingly mindful of the content that they run adjacent to, which could range from misinformation to undesirable subject matter that may not be brand safe or suitable,” said IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider. “The IAS Election Lab is committed to using the power of data science to help brands navigate the risks and opportunities that the elections will bring and provide actionable insights to ensure marketers can focus on performance.”
The IAS Election Lab’s tentpole research addresses marketers’ concerns as we enter the election season, including how to avoid misinformation and controversial content around Super Tuesday and other political events, while continuing to effectively reach engaged audiences and maintain brand reputation.
Highlights from the IAS Election Lab research include:
1 News-related misinformation appears to rise in conjunction with high-profile news events. This year, traffic peaked two days before Super Tuesday, marking a threefold increase compared to the Q1 volume rate.
2 Ads adjacent to risky political party content had a 66 per cent lower success rate and a 29 per cent higher, or $0.82 increase, in cost per conversion. Similarly, ads adjacent to news-related misinformation had a 53 per cent lower success rate and an eight per cent higher, or $0.23 increase, in cost per conversion.
3 After tracking the volume of negative sentiment political party impression traffic throughout Q1 2024, the IAS Election Lab found that traffic spiked in tandem with salient political events — including Super Tuesday.
4 During the 2020 presidential election, IAS observed that more than three in four consumers believed online advertising would play an important role in determining the outcome of the election.
For a step-by-step guide on how to safeguard and scale your brand in an election year, download your copy of the IAS Political Guide, and explore our IAS Election Lab for more insights.
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.
