Brands
Meesho ropes in Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone for upcoming festive sale
Mumbai: Internet commerce platform Meesho has announced its upcoming “Mega Blockbuster Sale” campaign that onboard nine celebrities including Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Rohit Sharma, Rashmika Mandana, Kapil Sharma, Trisha Krishnan, Karthi Sivakumar, Ram Charan and Sourav Ganguly. This is in line with the company’s efforts to go deeper and build local relevance with customers across Bharat.
The campaign aims to position Meesho as India’s biggest marketplace where you can access a variety of products from local markets across the country. The idea was to create a visual world representing celebrities as sellers of various categories, spreading awareness about the company’s unique value proposition of quality products at lowest prices. Through these films, Meesho aims to showcase how shopping on the company’s app mirrors the enjoyable, real-world experience of physical markets. The nine celebrities have a pan-India fan following and are at the top of their craft and careers, aligned with Meesho’s values. WIth a total of 12 films, each master is shot in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and further amplified in other regional languages like Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Gujarati.
User Growth CXO Megha Agwarwal said, “Through this campaign we are not only looking to target the average 125 million existing monthly users on our platform but every Indian who is looking to shop for their festive needs at affordable prices without compromising on quality. Simultaneously, sellers will have the whole of India to cater to, giving them a chance to build on their customer base.”
“The celebrities we are engaging with as part of the “Saal ke Sabse Kam Daam” campaign enjoy tremendous love and affection across the country, which helps us in communicating the offerings to our customers and the opportunity to our sellers in the best possible way,” she added.
Commenting on his association with Meesho for the campaign, actor Ranveer Singh said, “Fashion has seen rapid evolution in the past two years. Everyone is now trying to experiment and develop their personal sense of style. In that light, I am elated to be associated with a platform like Meesho, which is helping local sellers across various different categories to bring their products forward. Not only will you be able to find the perfect gifts for your friends and family at the most affordable prices, there is also no compromise on quality. And through Meesho’s industry-first tenet, your choice will help make the festive season great for local sellers.”
Cricketer Rohit Sharma said, “It gives me great pride to associate with Meesho and play a key part in supporting the local economy. The brand provides local sellers with a powerful platform to scale their business. Also, the wide range of products at pocket-friendly price points makes it the preferred choice for customers. I look forward to working closely with the team.”
Meesho, recently strengthened its regional foothold by adding eight new languages on the app—Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia.
Brands
Havas reports solid Q1 2026 with 2.5 per cent organic net revenue growth
Advertising group maintains positive momentum and confirms full-year guidance.
MUMBAI: Havas has started 2026 on a strong note proving that even in uncertain times, its converged model continues to deliver. The global advertising and communications group reported net revenue of €638 million for the first quarter of 2026, representing organic growth of +2.5 per cent compared to the same period last year. This performance was driven particularly by a robust +7.4 per cent organic growth in the United States.
Total revenue for the quarter reached €667 million, with organic growth of +2.8 per cent. Recent acquisitions contributed a positive scope impact of +1.7 per cent, while foreign exchange movements had a negative impact of -5.8 per cent, mainly due to the US dollar and British pound.
Europe, which accounts for 50 per cent of net revenue, delivered +1.1 per cent organic growth, supported by a good performance in France. North America (36 per cent of net revenue) led the way with +7.4 per cent growth, thanks to strong contributions from both Havas Creative and Havas Media. APAC & Africa (8 per cent) saw a decline of -6.2 per cent, while Latin America (6 per cent) remained nearly stable at -0.6 per cent.
Havas chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré said, “Havas has started 2026 on a solid footing, continuing its momentum and delivering organic growth in net revenue of +2.5 per cent. This performance, in line with our full-year 2026 guidance, was driven in particular by continued strength in the US.”
The group also continued its bolt-on acquisition strategy, acquiring majority stakes in four agencies during the quarter: Acento Public Affairs (Spain), Ctrl Digital (Sweden), Styleheads (Germany), and Eyesight (France).
Havas maintained its strong creative reputation, ranking as a top holding company in the WARC Creative 100 for the sixth consecutive year, with three agencies BETC, Havas Paris, and Havas India placing in the Top 50.
Looking ahead, Havas confirmed its 2026 guidance: organic net revenue growth between +2.0 per cent and +3.0 per cent, adjusted EBIT margin between 13.2 per cent and 13.5 per cent, and a dividend payout ratio of around 40 per cent. The group also reiterated its medium-term targets for 2028.
Despite ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, Havas enters the rest of the year with solid fundamentals and confidence in its ability to deliver sustainable, profitable growth.
In a challenging environment, Havas is proving that its integrated, client-centric model remains resilient delivering steady growth while continuing to invest in creativity and innovation. The first quarter results suggest the group is well-positioned to navigate the year ahead with confidence.
