Brands
Eastern Condiments to spend Rs 20-25 crore on marketing and selling expenses
BENGALURU: Indian spice powder manufacturer and exporter Eastern Condiments (ECPL) plans to spend between Rs 20 to 25 crore towards marketing and selling expenses during this fiscal.
The company recently brought on board FCB Ulka as its creative agency. It also has a special arrangement with the agency for media buying.
“Unlike most other condiments brands, we plan to target rural India, because we see a big opportunity there. As disposable incomes go up in tier II and tier III cities, and more and more family members seek employment, even rural India will have no time to buy the condiments and then spend time processing them for kitchen use. We already see it starting to happen with edible oils and wheat flour,” reveals EPCL managing director Navas Meeran.
Initially, though the push will be BTL, the company is chalking out plans for TV spots on channels like Asianet and Manorama in its home state Kerala. Media plans will be drawn for television commercials in states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, the main TG for the company for now. Other states that the company plans to target are Haryana, Punjab as also pan-India.
ECPL’s revenue last fiscal was Rs 560 crore, of which Rs 150 crore came through exports, Rs 125 crore from Kerala and the balance across various markets in India. Karnataka, which contributed Rs 70 crore to ECPL’s revenues is an important market for the company. To that extent, it launched three spice mix flavours that are a part of the staple food in the state – Vangi Bath, Bisibele Bath and Puliogare Bath.
“We will have campaigns in the state for these new products,” said ECPL’s other managing director Firoz Mareen. “These products are more to the local tastes and media plans are under process for a campaign here. In spices and condiments we are already the number three player.”
A few years ago, McCormick & Company, the US-based global leader in spices, herbs and flavourings picked up a 26 per cent stake in ECPL. “McCormick estimated the branded and the non-branded size of the spice and condiments market in India as Rs 45,000 crore,” reveals a source at ECPL. “The approximate size of the organized branded market is about $ 1 billion (about Rs 6000 crore),” adds the source.
Brands
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.
