MAM
Mobile advertising drives M&C Saatchi growth for 2011
MUMBAI: Even as industry pundits predict that digital and mobile advertising is the mantra for the future, mobile advertising and social media marketing services helped M&C Saatchi to more than double its pre-tax profits last year.
The mobile group has contributed 15-20 per cent of M&C Saatchi’s UK profits, doing work for brands including the O2 arena and Speedo.
Advertising spending on mobile devices leapt by 157 per cent last year to ?203.2m in the UK, according to figures published on Tuesday by the Internet Advertising Bureau and PwC.
Revenues rose 22 per cent to ?153.1m in the year ended 31 December with pre-tax profits jumping from ?7.8 million in 2010 to ?16 million.
The Financial Times quoted M&C Saatchi chief executive David Kershaw as having said: “2012 has started well. We see pretty good growth. We are looking at double-digit earnings growth next year and going into 2013.”
In 2010 M&C Saatchi acquired Inside Mobile, an agency dedicated to creating applications and other forms of smartphone marketing.
Much of M&C Saatchi’s mobile revenues are coming from existing clients. “There’s an inverse relationship between client knowledge and agency margin,” Kershaw told FT. “At the moment, client understanding of mobile is in the foothills, which means there’s a greater dependence on experts. There is not an oversupply of experts yet, which means you get a healthy margin. The next two or three years should be very healthy.”
The agency’s newer international offices in South Africa, the US and Latin America also contributed to the boost as they became profitable.
M&C Saatchi was hit by some big client losses particularly in Australasia but won in other fast-growing areas, such as mobile.
Brands
Kaayu Rituals enters India with science-backed daily Ayurvedic wellness
UK-backed brand turns self-care into structured daily rituals for modern India
NEW DELHI: UK-backed wellness brand Kaayu Rituals has officially arrived in India, offering a fresh take on Ayurvedic self-care. The brand blends age-old rituals with modern science, making preventive wellness a daily habit rather than an occasional indulgence.
With interest in Ayurveda surging across the country, consumers are increasingly seeking solutions that go beyond treatment to focus on consistent self-care. Kaayu Rituals aims to meet this demand by creating a structured framework for inner wellness, herbal teas, skincare, and haircare, all designed to encourage long-term consistency and measurable wellbeing benefits.
Founder and CEO Preeti Choudhary, a regulatory affairs veteran with 18 years’ experience spanning pharmaceuticals, medtech, microbiology, and global compliance, explained the brand’s unique approach. “After nearly two decades in healthcare regulation, I realised we apply extraordinary rigour to crisis care but not to daily stress, hormonal health, or emotional wellbeing,” she said. “India doesn’t need more wellness products. It needs structure, consistency, and trust. Ayurveda has always offered that. We are simply bringing modern regulatory rigour and clarity to it.”
Unlike conventional wellness brands, Kaayu Rituals focuses on ritual-first engagement rather than purely product-led offerings. Its science-backed approach promises transparency, safety, and quality assurance, setting a new standard in a largely unstandardised self-care market.
The brand will launch with a direct-to-consumer model through kaayurituals.com, before expanding to curated retail and wellness partnerships across major urban centres in 2026.
