MAM
Interpublic targets 3% organic growth in 2012
MUMBAI: US-based ad holding company Interpublic Group is targeting an organic growth of 3 per cent as its first six months are going to be impacted by client losses suffered last year.
The company‘s annual revenue in 2011 was up 7.8 per cent to about $7 billion. Net income for 2011 increased by 96 per cent to $551.5 million as compared to $281.2 in 2010.
Interpublic gained last year as it had net cash inflow of $134 million from the sale of about half of its interest in Facebook.
Interpublic CEO Michael Roth said the company faces revenue challenges in 2012 due to client losses from last year, which are expected to affect the first six months of the year. “We are targeting 3 per cent organic growth this year,” he averred.
Interpublic agency networks, McCann Erickson and DraftFCB, both saw major accounts defect in 2011. McCann Erickson lost Nescafe work and other accounts while DraftFCB lost SC Johnson and is now having to share Miller Lite work with Publicis Groupe‘s Saatchi & Saatchi.
Roth said that all of the company‘s regions grew in terms of organic growth in 2011 barring Europe due to its current debt crisis. While for the full year continental Europe was down 0.1 per cent, Latin America was up by 17.8 per cent. For the fourth quarter U.S. organic growth was up by 2.2 per cent, Latin American was up 30.4 per cent and Europe was down 3.2 per cent.
Net income in the fourth quarter of 2011 was up by 25 per cent to $278.3 million. The total revenue for the fourth quarter was $2.07 billion, which is an increase by 3.4 per cent from the corresponding quarter on the previous year.
Said Roth, “Building on a very good 2010 result we continue to show organic revenue growth that is at or near the top of our peer group. This performance keeps us on track to deliver on our goal of fully competitive profitability in 2014.”
Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
