MAM
P&G and Viacom Plus expand cross marketing partnership
It’s a relationship that has stood the test of time and emerged enriched.
US MNC P&G and Viacom Plus, the cross media sales and marketing unit of Viacom have announced the expansion of a cross platform marketing partnership that recently entered the second year. The agreement that includes media and marketing intiatives for P&G brands across all of Viacom’s 14 national TV properties inlcuding CBS, UPN, MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1, will now expand to include new Viacom properties that P&G has not previously utilised.
The second year of the deal will focus on taking the deal beyond television, creating and integrating a few key marketing programmes that provide P&G’s brands the opportunity to build equity and continuity from television all the way to retail, says P&G.
The unprecedented marketing partnership last year was the first of its kind in the industry, and creates a first time opportunity to build an integrated multicultural programme for its brands, the company says.
MediaVest U.S.A., a media management and broadcast agency of record for P&G since 1984, helped craft both the initial and most recent deal, says an official release.
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.
