MAM
Pepsi launches its first online TVC in India on Yahoo!
BANGALORE: Pepsi today launched its first ever television commercial online in India.
The three-part ‘webisode’ of the TV commercial will run on Yahoo! India this week and will be followed by the television commercial breaking on 16 September.
The webisode of the commercial, featuring Pepsi brand ambassador – Shah Rukh Khan as a flirtatious snake charmer, can be seen on pepsizone.yahoo.co.in
The Pepsi Foods (PFL), EVP marketing Vipul Prakash said, “Pepsi has always aimed at connecting with the youth by introducing initiatives that captures the pulse of the youth. This initiative reiterates the innovative edge of Pepsi to unite two mediums for the first time and involve the customers in it “.
Consumers can participate in Pepsi’s online contest featuring the animated version of the first webisode where Shah Rukh Khan is playing the lead protagonist.
“This campaign is a first of its kind in India, where the Internet commercial was produced simultaneously with the TV commercial. Moreover, the commercial has hit the web a week before it will be aired on television. It is representative of the increasing importance that youth marketers like Pepsi are attributing to the digital media. Internet is not only about targeting the relevant audience with minimal spillover; it is also about unleashing the power of interactive advertising and this campaign takes a giant stride towards the same. We are confident that the youth will love this pre-television airing and will find the webisodes highly engaging!” the release quotes Yahoo! India director of sales, Pearl Uppal.
Pepsi had integrated its online activity earlier in the year by promoting its Pepsizone on the portal. The positive campaign results have led to Pepsi and Yahoo! India jointly commission an online research study with Internet research pioneers, Dynamic Logic to understand the impact of online advertising on conventional Brand Metrics. The online media innovation introduced by Pepsi follows Pepsi’s partnership with Yahoo! India for online brand building.
Brands
Jubilant Foodworks to end Dunkin’ franchise in India
Pizza chain operator will not renew agreement when it expires at end of 2026.
MUMBAI: When the doughnuts stop turning and the coffee goes cold, even a global giant like Dunkin’ can find the Indian market a tough brew to crack. Jubilant Foodworks has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin’ when the pact expires on 31 December 2026, according to a Reuters report. The operator, best known for running Domino’s outlets in India, said it would evaluate options for its existing Dunkin’ stores, including a potential sale or transfer of franchise rights, in consultation with the US-based brand.
The decision follows years of underperformance in a market where local tastes and intense competition have made it difficult for international coffee-and-doughnut formats to gain traction. Jubilant, which has increasingly focused on its core pizza business and newer bets like Popeyes, indicated that the exit would not materially affect its financial or operational position.
Dunkin’ accounted for just 0.61 per cent of Jubilant’s revenue in the fiscal year ending 2025 and recorded a loss of approximately Rs 191 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company operated 27 outlets as of December 2025, having shuttered seven stores over the preceding year.
The retreat comes even as Jubilant’s broader business shows signs of momentum. The company reported a 65 per cent rise in quarterly profit for the October to December period, reaching Rs 70.9 crore, up from Rs 42.91 crore a year earlier.
For Jubilant, the exit reflects a sharpening strategic focus. For Dunkin’, it marks another setback in a market that has proven resistant to imported café concepts without significant localisation.
In the cut-throat world of Indian quick-service restaurants, sometimes the sweetest deals are the ones you quietly walk away from leaving more room for the brands that truly rise to the occasion.
