MAM
McCann’s Mathew on Adfest jury
MUMBAI: McCann ECD Rahul Mathew has been picked to be on the Ad Fest 2013 Film Lotus and Radio Lotus jury panel.
Adfest 2013 will be held during from 17 to 19 March at the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, Royal Cliff Hotels Group, Pattaya, Thailand.
Mathew said, “Adfest has been my favourite hunting ground. In fact, my first-ever-international award was a bronze at Adfest. And I also won one of my Grand Prixs there in 2008, incidentally in radio. With Adfest being the first show to be judged in the year, it‘s also the first peek at Asia‘s biggest contenders for the shows to come. So it‘s an exciting show to judge. But with film & radio as my category, it‘s going to be as exhausting as it will be exciting.”
Mathew has been in advertising for about 15 years, eight of which have been with McCann Mumbai. He has been involved in many award winning campaigns that have gained acclaim at both domestic and international arenas. These include Grand Prixs at the Adfest and New York, and metals and honours at Cannes, One Show, Spikes, Adfest, Clio, London International and Goa fest. He has also been ranked amongst the top five creative professionals in India in 2009 by Campaign Brief Asia and was ranked the 8th most awarded copywriter in Asia (as per Haymarket Publications and Campaign Asia) in 2012.
Adfest is a non-profit organisation, which run the largest annual advertising festival in Asia & the Pacific celebrating and raising the standard of creativity in the region. ADFEST is a platform designed not only to promote and recognise creative excellence, but also provides a unique learning opportunity for participants through seeing the best works, listening to inspiring speakers, and exchanging ideas. Adfest embraces and celebrates local culture and heritage. With the rich history of heritage and legacy in this region, Adfest aims for the recognition and preservation of such local value.
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.
