MAM
Thums Up to biking in India
MUMBAI: With the summer season upon us soft drink companies are going all out to further imprint brand awareness upon consumers. A case in point is Coca Cola.
The company has announced that its brand Thums Up will run a programme Thums Up Piyoge? Ninja Chalaoge? Hai Dum?
The aim is to promote the biking culture in India. The innovatively designed Thums Up under-the-crown (UTC) promotion is in line with the brand’s core identity of being – macho, outgoing, adventurous and fearless. The programme will give four winners an opportunity to ride home on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX 6R. A bike is worth over Rs 6,00,000.
To participate in the promotion consumers just need to peel the crown liner of their Thums Up bottle and collect four parts of Kawasaki Ninja ZX 6R bike and they can be the lucky winner. There are other prizes like over 100 Bajaj Pulsars and lakhs of biking gear like biker’s jacket, bags, sunglasses and waist-pouches up for grabs.
Coca-Cola India VP marketing Vikas Gupta said, “We had an overwhelming response to the Thums Up Everest Challenge – Hai Dum? through which we touched more than five lakh consumers in nearly 500 cities and towns. Thums Up Piyoge? Ninja Chalaoge? Hai Dum? also personifies the spirit of Thums Up – the spirit of adventure, of thrill and of excitement.”
The entire campaign is supported by an integrated marketing and communications plan that includes a TVC featuring Akshay Kumar, the brand ambassador for Thums Up. The TVC, conceptualised by Leo Burnett was launched on April 12 across all mainline Hindi channels inviting the Thums Up drinkers to participate in the UTC promotion. The TVC starts with the opening of a Thums Up bottle and the crown transforms into the legendary masked warriors, the Ninjas.
The four Ninjas attack our hero, but he, in his usual nonchalant way overcomes them easily. The communication construct echoes the promotion mechanic, ‘capture the 4 Ninjas and win the SuperBike Kawasaki Ninja’. The film is directed by Savier, flown in from Iceland and produced by Mad Entertainment.
Other marketing programmes lined up for the promotion of The Thums Up Ninja Hunt include activation of key accounts, promotional activities in colleges and marketplaces and an extensive roadshow casing the cool machines covering the country.
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.
