MAM
Brands must identify, promote advocates for a better future
NEW DELHI: The ongoing Covid2019 crisis and lockdown is a difficult time for brands across the globe. Retail and D2C players are too faced with wide uncertainties as people are not willing to spend much. However, as per the Department of International Trade, UK, this time comes with a silver lining; as the consumers can’t go outside they have a lot of time in hand to explore, and brands, therefore, must pivot their focus from direct sales to focusing on digital customer engagement.
The department hosted a webinar on Thursday in association with brand advocacy firm Duel, highlighting how brands can utilise this opportunity to keep their user community engaged during the crisis with zero budgets. Speaking on the panel were Duel founder Paul Archer, and lead brand and community consultant Jaclyn Crocker.
As explained by Crocker, consumers of today no longer base their loyalty on price or product but instead on experiences they receive. Therefore, brands should be looking at consumer experience from a holistic perspective and build strong emotional connect with them. For this, brands will have to be very specific about their values, in not only what they stand for but also what they ‘rage against’.
She elaborated that what distinguishes a great brand from an average brand is its capability to turn consumers into advocates and creating an organic growth channel with minimal ad spends.
“At Duel, we believe that the greatest companies of the next decade will be those who focus on driving advocacy and word-of-mouth from those who love them. Therefore, the brands must be thinking long-term, maintaining a honest and generous outlook towards consumers, investing in remarkable consumer experience by constantly seeking feedback, and building strong networks and communities.” Crocker said.
She added that consumers today are looking for more transparency from businesses and more human connection.
She also shared a trick to segment the existing customer base into CRM, customers, loyalists, advocates, and super fans and acting proactively in a different manner for each subset.
She insisted that a brand must be investing in appraising and rewarding its advocates and also shared a formula to calculate the value of an advocate for a brand.
She added that brands can promote advocacy by rewarding the superfans and advocates via discounts, and special experiences. However, if as a brand one has not been giving discounts ever since, it might not be the right time to start doing that.
In conclusion, she insisted that brands should really be focussing on creating a strong user base that turns into advocates for them for a brighter future.
Brands
Nestlé India posts 14.9 per cent sales growth, profit rises in FY26
FMCG major sweetens returns with dividend as strong domestic demand leads
NEW DELHI: Nestlé India has reported a strong financial performance for the year ended 31 March 2026, with sales and profits rising steadily on the back of robust domestic demand.
The company posted total income of Rs 231,949.5 million for FY26, up from Rs 202,645.5 million in the previous year, marking a growth of 14.9 per cent. Domestic sales remained the key driver, increasing 14.6 per cent to Rs 221,187.0 million, while exports contributed Rs 9,527.6 million to the overall tally.
The final quarter of the financial year added extra momentum, with total sales rising 23.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. This helped lift the company’s annual profit to Rs 35,446.0 million, up from Rs 33,145.0 million in FY25.
Shareholders are set to benefit as the board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 5.00 per equity share. This comes on top of the interim dividend of Rs 7.00 per share paid in February 2026. The record date for the final dividend has been fixed as 10 July 2026, subject to shareholder approval at the 67th Annual General Meeting scheduled for 3 July 2026. If approved, the payout will begin from 30 July 2026.
During the year, the company’s paid-up equity share capital doubled to Rs 1,928.3 million following a 1:1 bonus share issue, strengthening its capital base. The results were also supported by a Rs 1,207.8 million credit from exceptional items, including a Rs 2,023.2 million writeback from resolved income tax litigation, partially offset by restructuring costs and expenses related to new labour codes.
On the cost front, material costs rose to 44.8 per cent of sales for the full year, compared to 43.6 per cent in the previous year, reflecting ongoing input cost pressures. Despite this, the company maintained solid profitability, with EBITDA coming in at Rs 53,060.6 million.
Overall, Nestlé India’s performance underscores its ability to balance growth and margins in a challenging environment. With steady demand, disciplined cost management and consistent shareholder returns, the company appears well placed to carry its momentum into the next financial year.
