MAM
MPL ropes in HockeyCurve for creative automation
NEW DELHI: Martech start-up HockeyCurve Technology Labs has won the account of Mobile Premier League (MPL), the fantasy gaming platform with more than 60 million users.
During the engagement, HockeyCurve will provide end-to-end dynamic creative implementation to deliver high performance digital campaigns for all the MPL gaming verticals. This will also include programmatic ad serving, creative analytics and automating all mainline campaigns into high performance digital sub-campaigns.
HockeyCurve co-founder and CEO Aditya Jagtap said, "We are really excited to have MPL on board. They have 50+ different games on their platform – which is a perfect recipe for building a true creative automation model for MPL. After deploying SportsPlex for broadcasters like Hotstar, Sony, ESPN, we are really kicked about expanding the product into the fantasy and gaming domain".
As a part of their recently launched IPL campaign, HockeyCurve deployed first of its kind real-time key player statistic based ads for MPL’s fantasy league. These ads were an instant hit with 3X increase in user engagement compared to standard banner ads and uplifted the programmatic advertising efficacy by almost two times compared to direct buy campaigns.
"With HockeyCurve ad-server, we got a three-in-one solution that offers personalised creatives, dynamic optimisation and granular analytics, which is super scalable for our growth team. This custom setup ensures our product offerings get seamlessly extended into our advertising across our digital media campaigns. We look forward to bringing more such automation campaigns in the coming months to enthral our users,” said Arpit Awasthi, MPL’s head of digital marketing.
Founded in 2016, HockeyCurve Technology Labs offers proprietary digital marketing products for programmatic media buying, dynamic creative optimisation (DCO) and other custom automation services to e-commerce, sports and OTT brands including Flipkart, Hotstar, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, Sony, Zee5, Voot, Oyo, Grab and others.
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.
