AD Agencies
Maitri Advertising Works wins agency of the year award
Mumbai: Maitri Advertising Works announced that it has won the South Indian Marketing Award for Agency of the Year. The agency has bagged four gold and one silver.
The first gold medal was for Mathrubhumi Daily’s 100th-anniversary anthology ad series under the category ‘Series Branded Media Content.’ The next gold was for Asianet Bigg Boss Malayalam season 4 promo featuring Mohanlal under the category of ‘Best Use of Television.’
The department of women and child welfare won its third gold with the “No More Compromise” campaign. The recognition was given for the skillful use of social media and digital platforms, which included two music videos starring Arya Dayal, Sayanora, and Indulekha Warrier; digital videos produced by director Basil Joseph; and posters & videos made with the assistance of other social media influencers.
The fourth gold was for the promotion of Netflix’s Christmas release, Minnal Murali. The print campaign, designated as a superhero comics series, was considered for the award. The silver medal is for the hoarding done by joining forces with the Kerala motor vehicle department, asking people to stop speeding.
“You don’t need to live in big cities to do global-scale advertising and campaigns. The success of Maitri is evidence that Kerala has an abundance of resources for it. Our ability to capture the trust of international companies is an example of it,” said Maitri COO Jayakumar.
Maitri director of ideation Venugopal Ramachandran Nair commented, “The space and trust our advertisers provide us are what motivate us to think differently. Our energy comes from their courage to embrace innovation. A name worth mentioning here is Mathrubhumi MD M.V. Shreyams Kumar. His support, when we pitched the concept of ‘anthology advertising’ as part of the centennial celebration of Mathrubhumi, is one example. Maitri has been associated with Mathrubhumi for more than twenty years.”
“The biggest asset of our creative team is the youth who think differently. Behind Maitri’s successful campaigns are a group of hard-working young people. They are the real strength of the seniors leading Maitri,” added Maitri group creative director Francis Thomas.
Maitri director of operations & Kerala Advertising Agencies Association state president Raju Menon said, “In earlier times, network agencies used to come to Kerala and bag brands. Today, the situation has changed. Now, international clients are coming forward, realising the power of regional agencies. This has opened the door for the creative geniuses of Kerala to prepare world-class campaigns.”
AD Agencies
Publicis posts €4.19bn Q1 revenue, 6.4 per cent growth; backs FY outlook
Ad giant signals Q2 acceleration as AI and new deals power momentum
PARIS: Publicis Groupe continues to outperform the industry, delivering a strong start to 2026 under Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun. Despite a volatile global macro environment, the company has now outpaced the industry for nearly 20 consecutive quarters.
For Q1 2026, total revenue reached €4,191 million, up from €4,161 million last year, with organic growth of 6.4 per cent. Net revenue, which excludes pass-through costs, stood at €3,460 million, reflecting organic growth of 4.5 per cent.
Exchange rates had a negative impact of €268 million, mainly due to a weaker US dollar and pound sterling. Acquisitions, including Adge.AI and 160over90, contributed an additional €46 million.
Performance across regions was largely positive, with some variation:
- North America, accounting for 59 per cent of net revenue, grew 4.7 per cent
- Europe recorded growth of 3.9 per cent, led by the UK at 6.2 per cent, while France grew 1.6 per cent
- Asia Pacific posted 5.9 per cent growth, driven by China at 11.7 per cent
- Latin America grew 13.3 per cent
- Middle East and Africa declined 5.1 per cent due to geopolitical challenges
AI-powered marketing services, which now make up 86 per cent of the business, grew 5.6 per cent. However, the technology segment, representing 14 per cent of revenue, declined slightly as clients reduced spending on large-scale transformation projects.
Sharing his outlook, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment. Organic revenue growth reached 6.4%, leading to 4.5% in net and further increasing the gap with our peers.” He added that the company remains confident of delivering industry-leading performance. “We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4 to 5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2 despite a higher comparable.”
Publicis continued its expansion with the acquisition of Adge.AI in March, followed by 160over90 in April to strengthen its sports and culture marketing capabilities.
Net financial debt stood at €1,156 million at the end of March, reflecting a seasonal shift from the net cash position at the end of 2025. Average net debt over the past twelve months was €1,035 million.
The company has reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting net revenue organic growth of 4 to 5 per cent in 2026. It also anticipates an operating margin slightly above 18.2 per cent and free cash flow of approximately €2.1 billion.
With expectations of stronger performance in the second quarter, Publicis remains well positioned to sustain its growth momentum.
