MAM
Advertising on US TV sites grows by 60 per cent
MUMBAI: The ad revenues that web sites of television, radio and print companies in the US garnered grew significantly last year.
Newspapers, TV and radio station web sites they held onto half of all locally spent online advertising. Newspapers remained the leader, generating nearly $1.2 billion from their sites.
TV sites saw nearly 60 per cent revenue growth at $119 million and radio stations suddenly awakened to the opportunity in 2004, nearly doubling their Internet ad revenues at $34 million. This data is contained in a report put out by Research And Markets.
The survey included 2,177 sites operated by newspapers, TV stations, radio stations and local
pure-play companies. Another study by Research and Markets states that American recruiters are all vying for a piece of the Newspaper industry’s $4.6 billion recruitment pie through online advertising.
The study notes that recruitment advertising began its cyclical recovery with 2004’s improved
employment picture. Both newspapers and online media saw gains. But Internet job boards improved three times faster. Sales positions — particularly in retail and healthcare — are a key battleground as newspapers attempt to shore up their position against Monster’s initiative to reach smaller local
businesses.
The American economy has begun to turn, and with it comes new sunlight for recruitment advertising. The unemployment rate in the US has dropped for the first time in three years, and newspaper help-wanted advertising showed a corresponding
increase. If history offers any pattern, what will follow are seven years of increases in recruitment spending. The big question, of course, is where that
spending will occur.
While all boats are rising once again on the flowing
tide, some boats are indeed rising faster. Online job boards grew nearly three times as fast as newspaper classifieds in 2004. The battleground remains with non-managerial positions in the Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Two million of the estimated 13 million SMEs advertise in newspapers, and they have remained loyal to the helpwanted section. In 18 months, Monster has been able to convert almost 10 per cent of the SME category to online. The battle wages on. Pricing has begun to drop, making the job boards more alluring to price-conscious newspaper advertisers
in smaller markets.
Migration has already occurred in the sales-recruitment category, where recruiters devoting more dollars to the job boards. Other non-
managerial categories remain squarely in the newspaper domain. The road ahead is tough for the job boards and newspapers alike. Recruiters are spending $1.5 billion on their own sites in 2004, more than they’re spending with the job boards. Corporate sites have become more sophisticated in the past two years as they add features that mimic those of the major job boards. Job seekers can now go directly to an employer’s Web site and search available jobs, apply, or file a resume for future job
openings.
Newspapers still dominate this category in overall revenue. Online job boards generated about $1.3 billion in 2004, about one-fourth of the $4.6
billion that traditional newspaper advertising generated. Even if online recruitment revenues continued to grow and newspaper revenues remained flat, it would take a 30 per cent annual increase in online recruitment spending
(nearly twice the current rate of growth) over the next six years for it to reach the same level as newspapers.
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.
