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Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
(From left to right: Swiggy and Meta)
Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE
We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
Swiggy Q3 FY26: Advertising expenses surged by 47.5% to Rs 1,108 cr; Instamart clocks 83.8% YoY jump in revenue
Swiggy reported a sharp widening of losses in the December quarter, even as revenue surged significantly. The Bengaluru-based food and grocery delivery platform registered a consolidated loss of Rs 1,065 crore between October and December period for the fiscal year 2026-up 33.2% year-on-year from Rs 799 crore in the same period last year.
By contrast, the revenue from operations remained strong for the company, clocking 54% YoY growth to Rs 6,148 core, as against Rs 3,993 crore in Q3 FY25. Swiggy posted a total income of Rs 6,244 crore during Q3 FY26 compared with Rs 4,096 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.
Meta Q4 2025: Advertising revenue surges to $58.1 billion, ad pricing rises 6%
Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, reported a 24% year-on-year rise in revenue to $59.89 billion for the fourth quarter of 2025, driven largely by growth in advertising.
Advertising revenue accounted for 97% of Meta’s total revenue, coming in at $58.1 billion during the quarter. The company said the average price per ad increased 6% year-on-year, underscoring sustained demand from advertisers.
HUL appoints Sunanda Khaitan as CMO for Beauty & Wellbeing portfolio
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has appointed Sunanda Khaitan as chief marketing officer for its Beauty & Wellbeing portfolio, effective January 2026. She will be based in Mumbai and will oversee marketing strategy across the company’s personal care and beauty brands spanning mass and premium segments.
Khaitan has spent more than 19 years with Unilever, building deep expertise across sales, brand management and leadership roles in both Indian and international markets. In her most recent role, she served as vice president and business head of Lakmē, where she led brand strategy, innovation and overall business operations for the beauty brand.
Blue Star reappoints B Thiagarajan as MD; elevates Mohit Sud to Executive Director
Indian multinational home appliances company Blue Star has announced a series of leadership transitions.
B Thiagarajan, upon completion of his current term as Managing Director on March 31, 2026, will be reappointed for a further term from April 1, 2026, to May 24, 2027—one day before he attains the age of 70.
Mohit Sud has been appointed Executive Director, Unitary Cooling Products, for a five-year term effective April 1, 2026. Sud joined Blue Star in March 2025 as Group President, Unitary Cooling Products, overseeing the Room Air Conditioner and Commercial Refrigeration businesses.
Celeb endorsements lose steam on TV; SRK and MS Dhoni dominate brand recall: TAM
In terms of the number of celebrities endorsing brands, E-commerce and Gaming emerged as the top category, with 41 celebrities lending their names to brands in the segment. This was followed by E-commerce Media, Entertainment, and Social Media (34 celebrities) and Building Materials and Systems (32 celebrities), signalling rising celebrity demand from digital-first and platform-driven businesses.
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From purpose-driven work and narrative-rich brand films to AI-enabled ideas and creator-led collaborations, the awards reflect the full spectrum of modern creativity.
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