MAM
YiPPee! launches ‘Be A Star’ contest
Mumbai: Earlier this year, YiPPee! noodles, launched its new brand communication “Why Just Be Happy, When You Can Be YiPPee!” embodying the philosophy that YiPPee! Makes You Full of Life. As an extension to this, YiPPee! is thrilled to announce the unique “Be A Star” Contest. This initiative aims to fuel consumers’ creativity in making unique and engaging content on their brand association with YiPPee!, while giving them the chance to experience the thrill of being a star.
The trend of curating content is at an all-time high. As per industry reports, India will have the largest base of over 100 million content creators across social media platforms in 2023. This initiative thus, presents every consumer with an opportunity to create content and be featured on the brand’s platform.
Participants will have to create, shoot and share their most creative ‘Noodle slurping moment’ with YiPPee!. To take the contest a notch higher, the brand will aim to create a World Record for creating the “World’s Longest Noodle Slurp video”. Being part of this attempt to set a world record, participants will forever be associated with a remarkable achievement. YiPPee! will also giveaway premium content creator gear to selected entries to celebrate their imagination and creativity.
In conjunction with this contest, YiPPee! has also released a new television commercial (TVC) to drive participation. Conceptualised by Ogilvy India, the TVC captures the essence of the contest “Be A Star” by portraying individuals from diverse backgrounds enthusiastically showcasing their noodle-slurping skills and also showing the various content creator gear that is up for grabs.
Commenting on the new initiative, ITC Foods Division COO – Snacks, Noodles & Pasta Kavita Chaturvedi said, “With the ‘Be A Star’ Contest, we aim to celebrate the creativity and individuality of our consumers, while also attempting the World’s Longest Noodle Slurp Video. This innovative promotion perfectly aligns with YiPPee!’s brand ethos to inspire one and all to live life to the fullest and embrace a fun, energetic spirit”.
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.
