MAM
Stovekraft hands over digital & creative duties to Team Pumpkin
Mumbai: The 360-degree marketing agency, Team Pumpkin, has won the digital and creative mandate for Stovekraft. With this new partnership, Team Pumpkin will be at the forefront of all the digital activities for Stovekraft’s brands Pigeon, Gilma, Skava, and Black+Decker.
The account was won following a multi-agency bid. Team Pumpkin will handle the account from its Mumbai office.
The agency will be in charge of developing and strengthening the brand’s digital presence by creating innovative social communication strategies through cutting-edge innovation, ideation, execution, and promotion.
Speaking on the collaboration, Team Pumpkin co-founder Swati Nathani said, “We are thrilled to have secured the digital and creative mandate for Stovekraft, India’s leading kitchen appliance brand, established on pioneering energy and innovative culture. It aligns perfectly with our goals and philosophy, making us a perfect match. As a leading agency in crafting and delivering digital innovations and solutions, our unique, cutting-edge digital offering based on brand vision will expand the brand love onto new-age digital platforms and generate significant customer experiences.”
Stovekraft managing director Rajendra Gandhi said, “As one of the pioneering companies in kitchen appliances, our constant endeavour is to provide the best range of products catering to the needs of every homemaker in the country. Stovekraft has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, and we look forward to expanding our business more. Hence, digital has become an important aspect of expanding our business. It is impressive what Team Pumpkin has in mind for our brand. We are confident that Team Pumpkin’s expertise and nuanced understanding of digital media will help us achieve our vision.”
AD Agencies
Omnicom Q4: Posts big revenue gains amid restructuring
Company trims underperforming units and launches $5B share buyback to reward investors.
MUMBAI: Omnicom has decided that in the world of global advertising, it is better to be a big fish in an even bigger pond. The marketing powerhouse, which recently swallowed its rival IPG, has kicked off 2026 by showing the market that it is not just buying growth – it is engineering it. In a series of bold strategic manoeuvres, the group has doubled its projected cost-savings target to a whopping $1.5 billion over the next three years.
The fourth-quarter results for 2025, released on 18 February 2026, paint a picture of a company in the midst of a massive structural makeover. Reported revenue for the quarter shot up 27.9 per cent to $5,528.8 million, a figure heavily bolstered by the first full month of IPG’s operations under the Omnicom umbrella. For the full year, revenue reached $17,271.9 million, marking a 10.1 per cent increase as the company integrated heavyweights like Acxiom Real iD and Flywheel Commerce Cloud into its next generation Omni platform.
However, bigger does not always mean tidier. The group reported a Gaap net loss of $941.1 million for the final quarter, or $4.02 per diluted share. This was primarily due to a massive $1.1 billion bill for severance and real estate repositioning, alongside a $543.4 million loss on the sale of non-strategic businesses. When these one-off integration headaches are stripped away, the underlying performance looks far more robust, with adjusted net income reaching $607.7 million and earnings per share of $2.59, comfortably ahead of the prior year’s $2.41.
The group is also trimming the fat elsewhere. Management has identified underperforming and non-strategic units representing approximately $2.5 billion in revenue for exit or sale. Meanwhile, smaller majority-owned markets bringing in $700 million are being moved to minority positions. This portfolio pruning is designed to focus the New Omnicom on higher-growth areas like media, creative content, and data-driven consulting.
Investors, it seems, are being kept sweet with a significant return of capital. The board has approved a fresh $5 billion share repurchase program, initiating an immediate $2.5 billion accelerated buyback. This comes on top of $549.6 million paid out in common dividends during the year.
Performance across the sectors was a mixed bag but generally positive in the heavy-hitting divisions. Media and advertising revenue surged 34.4 per cent in the fourth quarter to $3,322.6 million, while public relations grew 12.4 per cent to $500.8 million. On the flip side, branding and retail commerce saw a 7.0 per cent dip. Regionally, the US remains the engine room, with revenue jumping 51.9 per cent to $2,869.1 million in the quarter, while the UK saw a respectable 18.8 per cent rise to $533.2 million.
With a total debt of $9.1 billion following the IPG acquisition, the group is leaning on its cash-generative nature to keep its investment-grade credit rating intact. Free cash flow for the year stood at $2,226.1 million, up from $1,964.7 million in 2024. As the company moves into 2026, the focus is firmly on the Connected Capability model, essentially ensuring that its global army of talent is pulling in the same direction, and more importantly, within a much leaner budget.
