ITV

Tag: Hindustan Unilever

  • Preetam Thingalaya joins Bullet as vp–marketing

    Preetam Thingalaya joins Bullet as vp–marketing

    MUMBAI: Looks like Bullet has fired its next big shot. Preetam Thingalaya has joined the newly launched micro-drama app as vice president marketing, bringing with him more than 20 years of brand-building experience across media, FMCG, tech, and entertainment.

    Preetam’s move comes at a time when Bullet, in partnership with Zee Entertainment, is aiming to reshape digital storytelling through bite-sized, vertical-format dramas designed for binge-watching.

    An industry veteran known for crafting digital ecosystems and forging creator partnerships, Preetam has previously led marketing at Eshtory, a premium original audio storytelling platform. Before that, he held key roles at Mirum India (a VML company), ZEE5, Mindshare, and Hindustan Unilever.

    With Bullet blending tech, storytelling, and creator energy, Preetam’s appointment signals the brand’s next act, making micro-dramas a macro trend.

  • Hindustan Unilever’s profits flatten as margins take a beating

    Hindustan Unilever’s profits flatten as margins take a beating

    MUMBAI:  Hindustan Unilever limped through the September quarter with anaemic growth and shrinking margins, a performance that underscores the headwinds buffeting India’s consumer-goods bellwether. The maker of Dove soap and Surf detergent eked out a mere two per cent rise in sales whilst profit after tax before exceptional items slipped four per cent.

    Revenue from operations nudged up to Rs 16,034 crore for the quarter ended 30 September 2025, compared with Rs 15,703 crores in the year-ago period. But the real story lay in the margins: EBITDA margin contracted a painful 90 basis points to 23.2 per cent, down from 24.1 per cent last year. The culprit? Surging raw-material costs, which jumped 15 per cent year-on-year to Rs 5,746 crore.

    Profit after tax before exceptional items came in at Rs 2,482 crore, down from Rs 2,594 crore in the September 2024 quarter. But here’s where it gets interesting: exceptional items swung the needle dramatically. A one-off Rs 273-crore windfall from resolving tax disputes between UK and Indian authorities turned what would have been a profit decline into a four per cent gain. Reported PAT stood at Rs 2,694 crore versus Rs 2,595 crore last year.

    The half-year picture proved equally tepid. For the six months ended September, sales rose just four per cent to Rs 32,330 crore from Rs 31,200 crore. EBITDA for the period came in at Rs 7,539 crore with margins at 23.3 per cent. Profit after tax before exceptionals at Rs 4,960 crore marked a five per cent decline from Rs 5,201 crore in the first half of the previous year.

    Segment performance revealed a mixed bag. Home Care, the company’s largest division with Rs 11,441 crore in half-year sales, saw operating profit slip to Rs 2,212 crore from Rs 2,250 crore. Beauty & Wellbeing proved the bright spot, with sales surging 10 per cent to Rs 7,363 crores, though operating profit dipped marginally to Rs 2,060 crore. Personal Care posted a robust four per cent sales growth whilst Foods, contributing Rs 7,885 crore  saw profits decline 10 per cent to Rs 1,281 crore.

    The company’s acquisition spree added fresh complications. Purchase consideration for business combinations totalled Rs 2,661 crore during the half-year, primarily related to the Minimalist skincare brand acquisition completed in April. This aggressive M&A activity, whilst positioning HUL for future growth, weighed on near-term cash flows and contributed Rs 38 crore in acquisition-related costs.

    Managing director and chief executive officer Priya Nair faces a delicate balancing act. The board declared an interim dividend of Rs 19 per share, maintaining shareholder payouts even as profits sputtered. Meanwhile, the proposed demerger of the ice-cream business into Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited awaits regulatory clearances—a restructuring that could reshape HUL’s portfolio but added Rs 51 crore in expenses this quarter.

    Cash generation remained robust despite operational headwinds. Operating cash flows for the half-year stood at Rs 6,267 crores, though down from Rs 6,657 crore last year. The company deployed Rs 5,639 crore in dividend payments whilst splashing Rs 617 crore on capital expenditure.

    Earnings per share for the quarter came in at Rs 11.43, up marginally from Rs 11.03 last year, though this flattered the underlying performance due to exceptional gains. For the half-year, EPS stood at Rs 23.16 versus Rs 22.14, a five per cent increase that masked the compression in core profitability.

    The September quarter’s travails suggest India’s consumption story has lost some fizz. With costs climbing faster than pricing power allows and competition intensifying across categories, HUL’s playbook of premiumisation and market-share gains faces a stern test. The Rs 273-crore tax bonanza provided cosmetic relief this quarter, but the underlying business needs more than accounting alchemy to regain its mojo.

  • Mindshare veteran Sonal Jadhav moves to lead Havas Media’s western operations

    Mindshare veteran Sonal Jadhav moves to lead Havas Media’s western operations

    MUMBAI: Sonal Jadhav has traded her corner office at Mindshare for the top job at Havas Media Network India, where she will serve as managing partner and west lead. The appointment marks a significant coup for Havas, which has poached one of the industry’s most seasoned media hands.

    Jadhav spent three years and seven months as principal partner at Mindshare, the GroupM-owned agency, before making the switch this month. Her departure represents a notable loss for Mindshare, where she had deep roots stretching back over a decade.

    The Mumbai-based executive brings formidable credentials to her new role. She cut her teeth during a marathon 10-year stint at Mindshare, rising through the ranks from client lead to senior cluster lead. In her most recent role there, she managed a portfolio of blue-chip accounts including Kellogg’s, ICICI, Rio Tinto and Onida, with full profit-and-loss responsibility.

    Her earlier Mindshare tenure was particularly notable for her stewardship of the Hindustan Unilever skincare portfolio, where she crafted media strategies for the conglomerate’s beauty brands from 2006 to 2013. The assignment cemented her reputation as a strategic thinker with a knack for marrying brand-building with performance metrics.

    Between her two Mindshare chapters, adhav spent four years as general manager at Wavemaker, another GroupM stable-mate, focusing on FMCG clients and honing her expertise across traditional and digital media channels.

    Her career began in print advertising, with early roles at Hindustan Times and Indian Express, where she learned the fundamentals of media sales and revenue optimisation.

    The appointment signals Havas Media’s ambitions to strengthen its presence in India’s fiercely competitive media landscape, where agencies are battling for a larger share of the country’s advertising spend. Ms Jadhav’s deep FMCG experience and client relationships make her a natural fit for a market where consumer goods companies remain among the biggest advertisers.

    At 15-plus years in the business, she represents the kind of seasoned leadership that agencies increasingly prize as they navigate the complexities of digital transformation and attribution-based media buying.

  • TAM Adex: Indian TV advertising takes a breather as brands tighten purse strings in H1 2025

    TAM Adex: Indian TV advertising takes a breather as brands tighten purse strings in H1 2025

    MUMBAI: India’s television advertising market has hit the brakes. Ad volumes per channel tumbled 10 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year, signalling what industry watchers call a “strategic recalibration” in advertiser spending.
    top 10 brandsThe pullback comes as brands reassess their media strategies amid economic uncertainty. Yet some categories are thriving. Food and beverages maintained their dominance with a 22 per cent share of total ad volumes, followed by personal care and hygiene products at 16 per cent.

    The real winners were toilet and floor cleaners, which saw ad spending surge 16 per cent—the highest growth among major categories. E-commerce firms splashed out too, with online shopping platforms boosting their television presence by 48 per cent. Vocational training institutes went on the biggest spree, nearly quadrupling their ad volumes.
     

    Top 10 advertisers

    Hindustan Unilever retained its crown as India’s biggest television advertiser, with Reckitt Benckiser close behind. Together, the top 10 advertisers—dominated by fast-moving consumer goods companies—accounted for 47 per cent of all ad volumes.

    Toilet soaps led categories

    Reckitt’s aggressive push was evident in the brand rankings. Six of the 10 most-advertised brands belonged to the British consumer goods giant, led by Harpic Power Plus toilet cleaner. Dettol soap and antiseptic liquid also featured prominently.

    Top channel genres

    General entertainment channels edged past news networks to capture 31 per cent of ad volumes, reversing last year’s trend. The top five channel genres hoovered up more than 95 per cent of total advertising, underscoring the continued dominance of mainstream television over niche programming.

    Food and beverages

    The data, compiled by TAM AdEx from over 600 television channels, suggests Indian advertisers are becoming more selective about their television investments. With more than 6,600 brands vying for viewer attention, only the biggest spenders are breaking through the clutter.

    (The picture featuring the family watching the Surf Excel ad on TV is representational only. No brand infringement is intended)

  • Vim celebrates India’s cleanest cities with sparkling tribute and floor cleaner discounts

    Vim celebrates India’s cleanest cities with sparkling tribute and floor cleaner discounts

    MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever’s home care brand Vim has rolled out a spirited, city-specific campaign to honour the winners of Swachh Survekshan 2024–25—India’s largest cleanliness survey spearheaded by the ministry of housing and urban affairs. As a nod to the residents of the nation’s cleanest cities, HUL is offering exclusive discounts on its Vim Ultrapro Floor Cleaner range—reinforcing its message that cleanliness begins at home.

    Now in its 10th year, Swachh Survekshan has become a national benchmark for urban hygiene and sanitation. In this year’s edition, Indore, Navi Mumbai, and Surat clinched the top ranks in the premier Super Swachh League, while cities like Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow were spotlighted as rising stars. Prayagraj earned special praise for its sanitation efforts during the Mahakumbh. A total of 43 national awards were conferred.

    Vim’s hyperlocal campaign targets these winning cities with outdoor hoardings, local radio integrations, and hyperlocal influencer content. More than just a promotional push, the initiative is a celebration of civic pride and a bid to trigger sustained behavioural change around cleanliness—both inside homes and across communities.

    HUL home care general manager Srinandan Sundaram said, “Cleanliness has long been woven into the fabric of our culture, and Vim proudly stands by this enduring value. Along these lines, Vim has recently gone beyond dishwash and launched Vim Ultrapro Floor Cleaner range with patented biodegradable polymer technology + probiotic actives- which offers deep cleaning and enhanced performance. This campaign reflects our conviction that the path to cleaner cities starts from building the culture of cleanliness & we are celebrating the people from the winning cities for exhibiting the same. By echoing the spirit of Swachh Survekshan, we hope to inspire citizens to embrace cleanliness as a daily habit—and as a shared responsibility that strengthens our communities.”

    The campaign also doubles as a spotlight for Vim’s newly launched Ultrapro Floor Cleaner range, which features patented biodegradable polymer technology and probiotic actives. The product promises 100 per cent stain removal, deep cleaning, and exotic fragrances that last up to four hours—a technological upgrade aimed at India’s evolving home hygiene needs.

    With this initiative, HUL strengthens its alignment with national cleanliness drives, seamlessly connecting personal hygiene with civic responsibility—one mop at a time.

  • Kedaara Capital ropes in Unilever veteran Nitin Paranjpe as chief mentor and operating partner

    Kedaara Capital ropes in Unilever veteran Nitin Paranjpe as chief mentor and operating partner

    MUMBAI: Private equity firm Kedaara Capital has appointed Nitin Paranjpe as chief mentor and operating partner, tapping into the expertise of one of the most seasoned executives in India’s consumer goods sector.
    Paranjpe, who spent nearly four decades at Unilever, brings formidable leadership experience across operations, transformation, and global category management. 

    He began his career at the Anglo-Dutch FMCG giant in 1987 and went on to serve as CEO of Hindustan Unilever from 2008 to 2013—one of its youngest ever—and later held senior global roles including president of home care, president of foods and refreshment, and chief operating officer.

    During his tenure, Paranjpe spearheaded multiple high-impact initiatives, from doubling business performance at HUL, to leading large-scale integrations and driving digitisation at Unilever globally. Most recently, he served as chief people and transformation officer at Unilever, where he led one of the group’s most ambitious restructurings in two decades.

    In his new role, Paranjpe will work closely with Kedaara’s sector teams—especially in consumer and allied verticals—providing operational insight on both existing and prospective investments. He will also advise Kedaara’s senior leadership on strategic initiatives across the firm.

    Paranjpe currently serves as non-executive chairman of HUL, and sits on the boards of global firms including Heineken and Infosys, further underlining the stature he brings to the table.

    His appointment signals Kedaara’s intent to deepen operational value creation as a key lever in its investment thesis across India’s high-growth consumer landscape.

  • TAM Adex: screens and scenes spark spend surge as adland switches on big in Q1 FY 26

    TAM Adex: screens and scenes spark spend surge as adland switches on big in Q1 FY 26

    MUMBAI: India’s advertising engines have revved up in Q1 2025, with the industry riding high on the back of buzzing TV sets, scroll-stopping digital spends and billboards getting their groove back. The latest TAM AdEx Quarterly Report shows that marketers didn’t just show up, they splashed out. TV made a grand re-entry into the spotlight with a 16 per cent year-on-year growth in ad volumes compared to Q1 2024. Hindi GEC (General Entertainment Channel) ruled the roost with a whopping 22 per cent share, followed closely by Regional GEC and News genres at 15 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

    The big screen darling of Indian homes wasn’t just fluff and reruns either top advertisers like Hindustan Unilever, Reckitt, and Coca-cola kept the spots hot, with Coca-cola returning to the top 10 TV advertisers after a brief fizz out in 2024. Among categories, Toilet Soaps and Aerated Soft Drinks bubbled up, clocking a 29 per cent and 67 per cent growth in ad volumes respectively compared to Q1 last year.

    Digital advertising clocked in an impressive 18 per cent increase in ad insertions in Q1 2025 over the previous quarter. Notably, Programmatic advertising contributed a dominant 45 per cent share of digital spots, while Google Display and Facebook together accounted for over a third of digital insertions.

    Banking and financial services made big digital strides online investment platforms, personal loans, and insurance players were aggressive spenders. But the scene-stealer? Fantasy Sports, which surged ahead as Dream11 and My11Circle banked on cricketing fervour ahead of IPL 2025.

    Out of Home (OOH) advertising made a thunderous comeback, reporting a 32 per cent jump in ad volume over Q1 2024. Transit media think metro wraps, bus backs, and airport panels saw the sharpest uptick, up by 38 per cent. FMCG, e-commerce and OTT brands led the charge, with a special mention for Amazon Prime Video’s “Mirzapur 3” teaser plastering high-traffic junctions in metro cities.

    North India continued to dominate with 39 per cent of total OOH volumes, while Tier 2 towns witnessed an OOH growth spurt of 28 per cent, driven largely by regional retail players and upcoming D2C brands eager to build street cred.

    India’s ad sector lit up Q1 2025, with TV ad volumes up 16 per cent YoY, Digital ad insertions rising 18 per cent QoQ, and OOH jumping 32 per cent YoY. FMCG led with over 25 per cent of total ad volume, while Hindi-language ads drove over 50 per cent of TV and digital impressions.  

    With IPL in full swing and festive season preparations already in the works, Q2 is expected to outdo Q1. But beyond numbers, what stands out is how brands are blending mass and personalised media placing bets on both prime-time viewership and pocket-sized scrollable moments.

    From hoardings to handhelds, the message is loud and clear: India’s adland isn’t just recovering, it’s rewiring.
     

  • Indian brands turn heads and hearts at Kantar’s ad-effectiveness awards

    Indian brands turn heads and hearts at Kantar’s ad-effectiveness awards

    MUMBAI: Culture met creativity head-on, and Indian brands walked away with the spoils. Danone, Hindustan Unilever, Haleon and Godrej Consumer Products were among the big winners at Kantar India’s Creative Effectiveness Awards, which celebrated five years of ads that hit both hearts and wallets.

    With more than 1,350 Indian creatives tested in 2024—out of 12,000 globally—the winners were chosen not by agency suits, but by the toughest (and truest) critics: everyday consumers. Think festival rituals, everyday mishaps, Bollywood throwbacks and even snarky political satire. The kind of stuff that makes you nod, laugh or text your mum.

    HUL took home the crown across TV and digital. Meanwhile, Godrej Fab tickled funny bones with its satirical punch, Pond’s struck a Bollywood chord, and Nihar shaved off grooming clichés with flair.

    To mark the fifth anniversary of the awards, Kantar unveiled a snappy new mantra—distilled from half a decade of tracking India’s most powerful campaigns. Turns out, the most effective ads haven’t lost the plot: culture still sells, and creativity still seals the deal.

    The report’s insights are as spicy as a masala chai:

    ●    Culture is comfort food: Great Indian ads are like dal—with a creative tadka. They’re emotional, familiar, and loaded with meaning.

    ●    Tiny moments, big memories: It’s not grand gestures but the small stuff—rainy train stations, puja rituals, awkward family dinners—that truly lands.

    ●    Multilingual magic: Language may vary, but emotion doesn’t. The most effective brands ditched the Hindi-only formula for regionally rooted storytelling.

    ●    Execution eats strategy for breakfast: Music, humour, idioms, casting—get them right, and you’ve got a winner.

    Influencer-driven content, says Kantar, isn’t just noise—it holds eyeballs 2.2 times longer than standard ads, and delivers a 58 per cent average salience score. That’s gold in today’s skip-happy world.

    In India, you don’t invent culture—you tune into it, add some flavour, and serve it up with feeling. That’s how brands go from ads to icons.

    (If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

  • Hindustan Unilever appoints Priya Nair as new CEO & MD

    Hindustan Unilever appoints Priya Nair as new CEO & MD

    Mumbai: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has announced the appointment of Priya Nair as its new chief executive officer & managing director, effective 1 August 2025. She will also join the HUL board and remain a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive.

    Nair brings nearly 30 years of experience with Unilever, having held various sales and marketing roles across home care, beauty & wellbeing, and personal care. Her previous roles include executive director, home care, HUL (2014-2020), executive director, beauty & personal care, HUL (2020-2022), and global chief marketing officer, beauty & wellbeing at Unilever. Since 2023, she has served as president of beauty & wellbeing, one of Unilever’s fastest-growing divisions.. She is credited with consistently delivering business transformation through brand building, premiumisation, digital commerce, and purpose-led innovation.

    Rohit Jawa will step down as CEO and MD on 31 July 2025, to pursue new personal and professional endeavours.  Jawa assumed the role in 2023, and during his tenure of over two years, HUL achieved volume-led competitive growth. He also introduced the ‘aspire’ strategy, aimed at transforming the portfolio and channels towards high-growth demand spaces. HUL chairman Nitin Paranjpe thanked  Jawa for his leadership in navigating challenging market conditions and strengthening the company’s foundations.

    The appointment of Nair is subject to shareholder and other necessary statutory approvals. The board meeting to approve these changes commenced at 5:30 pm IST and concluded at 6:25 pm IST on Thursday, 10 July 2025.

  • Arun Srinivas appointed as Meta India’s new country head and MD

    Arun Srinivas appointed as Meta India’s new country head and MD

    MUMBAI: From tea leaves to timelines, Arun Srinivas is now brewing strategy at Meta India. In a move that signals both continuity and elevation, Meta has announced the appointment of Arun Srinivas as its new Managing Director and Country Head for India. Already a key figure within the company, Srinivas will now oversee all business, innovation, and revenue priorities across the region cementing Meta’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.

    Srinivas joined Meta in 2020 and has since led its Global Business Group and Ads Business for India, steering strategic revenue levers like AI, Reels, and Messaging. In his expanded role, he will now unify Meta India’s core pillars to better serve the platform’s advertisers, partners, and users.

    With nearly three decades of experience under his belt, Srinivas has worked across marquee names like Hindustan Unilever, Reebok, Ola, and private equity firm Westbridge Capital. His past roles included launching Ola in London, leading Unilever’s food, skincare, and beverage verticals in South Asia, and investing in high-growth consumer brands during his stint at WestBridge.

    Meta’s leadership hopes the appointment marks a sharper, localised strategy in a market that remains one of its largest and most dynamic.

    “As we look ahead, we remain focused on building products that drive growth for our partners while driving innovation for the ecosystem,” the company stated.

    With Srinivas now leading Meta India’s charge, all eyes will be on how he blends deep-rooted brand-building wisdom with the platform’s global tech playbook and what that could mean for India’s digital future.