MAM
Marico ups ad spend in fiscal as focus is on growth
MUMBAI: Marico has upped its advertising and promotional spends by a mammoth 76.52 per cent for the three-month period ended 31 March 2012, reinforcing its focus on volume growth rather than margins.
The company spent Rs 1.19 billion towards advertising in the final quarter, significantly higher than Rs 671.85 million that it consumed in the year-ago period.Advertisements and promotional spends were 14.3 per cent of the net sales in the quarter.
Marico‘s advertising budget will continue to be higher in the coming fiscal as it focuses on growth through value-added products in its various segments.
Marico’s net profit for the quarter fell by 2.67 per cent to Rs 696.971 million despite cut in product prices and high volume growth due to an increase in ad spend. Net sales grew 22.89 per cent to Rs 9.18 billion compared to Rs 7.47 billion a year ago.
For the full fiscal also, Marico‘s ad spend rose 29.78 per cent to Rs 4.49 billion, from Rs 3.46 billion in the earlier year.
Interestingly, Marico had said in August last year that the company would cut it ad spends and other costs to offset input cost pressure and avoid price hike.
However, the company increased its spending on advertising and promotions in each quarter of FY’12, barring the second quarter when it remained flat.
The major chunk of the spent was on the Saffola life World Heart Day Campaign 2011, which started in Q2 and continued in Q3 of FY’12.
For the three-month period ended 31 December 2011, the company had spent Rs 1.34 billion on advertising, a 48.62 per cent jump from the earlier year. During the second-quarter of the fiscal, the advertising spends were at Rs 941.49 million.
Even in the first quarter of the fiscal, Marico had increased spend on advertisement by 9.1 per cent as it had launched new products.
For the full fiscal, the net profit stood at Rs 3.17 billion, up from Rs 2.86 billion in the previous fiscal, a 10.71 per cent increase.
Marico’s annual net sales stood at Rs 33.97 billion as opposed to Rs 31.26 billion in the last year, registering a growth of 8.66 per cent.
MAM
Stayfree launches campaign for night-time period protection
New film highlights how Secure Nights pad helps women sleep better during periods.
MUMBAI: Stayfree just turned period nights from restless to restful because when the pad works overtime, even your sleep gets a well-deserved promotion. Stayfree has unveiled a new digital campaign spotlighting the distinct needs of period nights compared with days. The film, conceptualised by DDB Mudra, shows how many women use the same pad day and night, leading to frequent wake-ups from leak worries, poor sleep and drowsy days that follow.
Research cited in the campaign reveals that nearly 67 per cent of women on their periods experience sleep deprivation on some nights due to discomfort and anxiety. The ad gently illustrates this cycle: a woman tosses, checks for stains, and drags through the next day fatigued.
The campaign promotes Stayfree Secure Nights, designed specifically for night-time use with NightLock Technology for superior absorption, 2 times better coverage, a wider back, and a soft feel. It promises up to 100 per cent leakage protection while sleeping, allowing uninterrupted rest so women wake up fresh.
Kenvue, vice president marketing and essential health business unit head Manoj Gadgil said, “Many women unknowingly compromise their sleep quality by using day pads at night. Poor period sleep doesn’t just affect the night; it can impact how women feel and function the next day. Stayfree Secure Nights addresses specific night-time needs with reliable protection.”
The campaign will run across Youtube, Meta and leading OTT platforms, encouraging women to recognise the day-night difference and switch to night-specific protection.
In a world where periods already demand enough stamina, Stayfree isn’t asking for extra effort, it’s quietly handing women the one upgrade that turns restless nights into recharged mornings, one peaceful sleep at a time.
