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Amul bets high on sports marketing
NEW DELHI: Amul which claims to be India’s largest food products marketing organization is all set to sponsor the Indian contingent for the upcoming Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games to be held later this year in South Korea.
A Memorandum of Understanding in this regard was signed by Indian Olympic Association Secretary General Rajeev Mehta and Gujarat Amul Milk Marketing Federation Managing Director R S Sodhi in a function graced by Rakesh Gupta, Joint Secretary, and Anil Khanna, Treasurer, Indian Olympic Association. Amul has become the official sponsor of the Indian team in the category of dairy products.
Announcing Amul’s support for the Indian contingent to both these prestigious sporting events, Sodhi said, “Amul is committed to strengthening the support to sports in various forms and encourage young generation from all corners of the country to take up sports. I take great pleasure and pride in announcing our sponsorship of the Indian contingent to the XX Commonwealth Games and the XVII Asian Games.”
Explaining the rationale of this association, he said milk is nature’s original energy drink and plays a pivotal role in building the physical and mental strength of the athletes. Amul has embarked upon an ‘Eat Milk with Every Meal’ campaign to highlight the importance of milk and dairy products like cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, paneer etc. in the daily diet.
It can be noted that Amul has associated with sports events like football, Cricket World Cup and Formula 1 to engage the youth. Sodhi mentioned that the Amul had sponsored the Indian contingent to the London Olympic Games in 2012 which was India’s most successful Olympics.
“With the kind of investments made by our country to select, nurture and train the best athletes, we are confident that Indian contingents to the forthcoming Commonwealth and Asian Games will deliver their best ever performances and make our country proud,” said Sodhi.
Lauding Amul’s support to the Indian Olympic contingent, Mehta said “This support to the Indian sports will go a long way and further strengthen the bond between Amul and IOA and leave a longer lasting impact on the sports lovers and sports persons”.
Amul will launch a series of advertising campaigns for milk and various dairy products to promote this association in the coming months.
The XX Commonwealth Games will be held at Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3 and the XVII Asian Games scheduled to be held at Incheon, South Korea from 19 September– 4 October, 2014.
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Havas reports solid Q1 2026 with 2.5 per cent organic net revenue growth
Advertising group maintains positive momentum and confirms full-year guidance.
MUMBAI: Havas has started 2026 on a strong note proving that even in uncertain times, its converged model continues to deliver. The global advertising and communications group reported net revenue of €638 million for the first quarter of 2026, representing organic growth of +2.5 per cent compared to the same period last year. This performance was driven particularly by a robust +7.4 per cent organic growth in the United States.
Total revenue for the quarter reached €667 million, with organic growth of +2.8 per cent. Recent acquisitions contributed a positive scope impact of +1.7 per cent, while foreign exchange movements had a negative impact of -5.8 per cent, mainly due to the US dollar and British pound.
Europe, which accounts for 50 per cent of net revenue, delivered +1.1 per cent organic growth, supported by a good performance in France. North America (36 per cent of net revenue) led the way with +7.4 per cent growth, thanks to strong contributions from both Havas Creative and Havas Media. APAC & Africa (8 per cent) saw a decline of -6.2 per cent, while Latin America (6 per cent) remained nearly stable at -0.6 per cent.
Havas chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré said, “Havas has started 2026 on a solid footing, continuing its momentum and delivering organic growth in net revenue of +2.5 per cent. This performance, in line with our full-year 2026 guidance, was driven in particular by continued strength in the US.”
The group also continued its bolt-on acquisition strategy, acquiring majority stakes in four agencies during the quarter: Acento Public Affairs (Spain), Ctrl Digital (Sweden), Styleheads (Germany), and Eyesight (France).
Havas maintained its strong creative reputation, ranking as a top holding company in the WARC Creative 100 for the sixth consecutive year, with three agencies BETC, Havas Paris, and Havas India placing in the Top 50.
Looking ahead, Havas confirmed its 2026 guidance: organic net revenue growth between +2.0 per cent and +3.0 per cent, adjusted EBIT margin between 13.2 per cent and 13.5 per cent, and a dividend payout ratio of around 40 per cent. The group also reiterated its medium-term targets for 2028.
Despite ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, Havas enters the rest of the year with solid fundamentals and confidence in its ability to deliver sustainable, profitable growth.
In a challenging environment, Havas is proving that its integrated, client-centric model remains resilient delivering steady growth while continuing to invest in creativity and innovation. The first quarter results suggest the group is well-positioned to navigate the year ahead with confidence.
