MAM
Mediaedge:cia, MindShare, Poster join hands to form OOH agency Kinetic
MUMBAI: Group M agencies Mediaedge:CIA and MindShare have joined with North America’s leading out-of-home (OOH) company Poster Publicity to form Kinetic, which will be the largest OOH company in North America.
The new company will be headed by chairman John Miller, formerly managing partner for OOH at Mediaedge:CIA Steve Ridley, formerly president at Poster Publicity, was named CEO.
Kinetic, based in New York and with an additional office in Miami, launched with 26 employees. The company expects to have 50 employees, plus a West Coast office, by year’s end. The roll out of the Kinetic network will be undertaken in stages ultimately leading to the employment of more than 300 professionals across offices in over 35 countries. This first stage will see the launch of Kinetic in the US, UK, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia. Other major markets will be in place before the end of 2005.
“By combining the tools and analytics for out-of-home media with our roster of leading clients, we’ve created the region’s premier OOH agency. Synonymous with movement and energy Kinetic will benefit world brands in their quest to co-ordinate regional campaigns and increase the value they get from the OOH medium. Our global footprint enables us to mirror the geographic reach of the major outdoor vendors such as Clear Channel, JC Decaux and Viacom,” said Miller.
Ridley added, “Kinetic offers our clients flexibility and the confidence that we can deliver domestic and regional campaigns over and above our competitors. Kinetic does this with personality and professionalism always bringing with it a fresh approach. Kinetic is without doubt a strong and independent choice.”
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
