MAM
McCann Erickson breaks ‘myth’ for Britannia cheese
MUMBAI: Britannia cheese has launched a new campaign conceptulaised by McCann Erickson.
With the junk food gaining popularity and mothers’ considering cheese fattening and unhealthy since they usually link cheese to pizza, burgers etc, and the brand wanted to break away from the tag. The new TVC shows a young boy telling his mother about the nutritional components (protein, vitamin A and calcium) of cheese.
Through the campaign the brand wants to fight the perception of it being unhealthy and the ad stays true to the actual nutrition in a slice of Britannia cheese. The brief given to the agency was to explore consumption of Britannia cheese in India by removing barriers. The film is the first effort in this direction to remove perceptional barriers. There are other barriers of category affordability and availability. In coming months there will be a series of activity focused to reducing these barriers.
It takes the message of “A glass of Cow‘s milk in every slice” story one step further to define the goodness in cheese.
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On the new TVC, head of Britannia Dairy Products Ashok Namboodiri said, “Cheese in western countries is a part of the everyday meal with extremely high per capita consumption. It is part of manifold consumption occasions and is perceived as being full of nutrition. In India however, Cheese is largely slotted as a taste enhancer often associated with fast food and thereby perceived as fattening. Britannia wants to break this myth and talk about the wholesome goodness of Cheese. The basic proposition of ‘A glass of cow’s milk in every slice’ is now taken to the next level by positioning Britannia Cheese as a rich nutritious food packed with Calcium, Protein, and Vitamins and communicated in a popular Indian idiom that is both engaging as well as entertaining.”
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
