MAM
Bru mounts ‘real couples’ on billboards to drive brand impact
MUMBAI: Two couples perched on a billboard overseeing the traffic snarl below… sounds absurd? Well, it is purely a demonstration of traditional media cutting through mundane communication, overpowering the hustle and bustle but forcing passers-by to turn around and take notice!
This is Hindustan Lever’s (the name is now Hindustan Unilever subject to shareholder approval) latest campaign for its beverage brand Bru. The tagline reads – “An evening to remember awaits you, buy a pack of Bru to know more.” Urging consumers to purchase a pack of Bru, the enticing message guides them to a code on the pack that could win them the luxury of a chauffer driver car to a five star hotel for quite meal with their family.
Unleashed across multiple cities but geographically restricted to the Northern and Western region, the FMCG major has used a media mix of outdoor, radio and print to promote its coffee category. However the OOH implementation has been used to create a striking “impact.” HLL general manager media services Rahul Welde explained that the rational behind unveiling the campaign was primarily to be “disruptive, gain high noticability and create impact.”
It is clear that such an activity is done to boost the coffee consumption pattern in the North-West region, which demonstrates low coffee drinking habits as compared to the South, which obviously necessitates a greater push by the brand.
Different media like OOH, radio and print has been suitably used to convey this communication across the region, but largely driven by the local effectiveness of that medium, says Mindshare Fulcum GM Himanshu Shekhar.
The campaign has been rolled out in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Bangalore. “The outdoor advertisements have been placed to garner high visibility and thus force people to remember the message. It is part of a strategic thrust that is being given to the coffee brand as there is a huge growth opportunity in this category,” says Shekhar.
However, Hedge says that the biggest challenge in this case (which requires actual people to be a part of the hoarding) is to execute the campaign.
When queried about the selective nature of the campaign, both in terms of distribution and media usage, Shekhar opines, “We have deliberately omitted television from the mix as it would amount to wastage and cause a huge spillover because the campaign is region specific and using TV would mean a pan Indian reach. However, the absence of TV challenged us to use the other mediums to create an impact.”
The specialist GroupM agency Fulcrum that services the portfolio of HLL brands had previously carried a pilot campaign of the same nature in Pune, which they claim gave them encouraging results to now carry it forward on a bigger scale.
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
