MAM
Insight bags Bajaj Discover account
MUMBAI: Bajaj Auto has appointed Insight, a member of the Lintas Media Group to look after both television and print media buying and planning for its Discover brand.
With this, Lintas Media Group factors a cumulative win of Rs. One billion of business within the fortnight and has bagged a clutch of new clients in its kitty including Cello, a leading player in the writing instruments, Torrent Energy, a leading provider and facilitator for the Ahmedabad and Surat Electricity Boards and MTNL, Gemini Oils, a Parakh Foods brand, Diwan Housing Finance Ltd, shared between its brands Insight and Initiative respectively.
This development comes in the wake of a pitch held in early February, when the company called incumbent agencies Mindshare, which handles the television media business of Bajaj, and Insight, which handles the print media business, along with challenger Starcom for presentations. Subsequently, Insight was selected for the Discover brand.
Speaking on the occasion, Insight president Raj Gupta said, “Insight’s way of approaching media seems to be working. The Bajaj Discover team has validated this by extending our association and trusting our understanding of the impact media brings on Brand building.”
Lintas Media Group director, Media Services, Lynn de Souza says, “From the past seven or eight months, we have been working hard to improve our strategy and planning products. The results have just begun to show and I am looking forward to the next months, where we hope to announce some more significant wins”.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
