Why Unilever won’t replace its chief marketing and growth officer | WPP wins Jaguar Land Rover global mandate | FMCG firms rethink Qcomm ad spends
Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
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Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE ⬇
We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
Why Unilever won’t replace its chief marketing and growth officer
Unilever’s decision not to replace its Chief Marketing & Growth Officer when Esi Eggleston Bracey exits in early 2026 marks a consequential shift in how the consumer goods group wants growth to be driven. Rather than signalling a diminished role for marketing, the move highlights a broader restructuring push: pulling decision-making closer to business groups, simplifying leadership layers and tightening accountability at a time when the company is under pressure to deliver faster results.
WPP finally clinches Jaguar Land Rover’s global mandate
After one of the advertising industry’s longest and most closely watched agency reviews, Jaguar Land Rover has moved toward appointing WPP as its global creative partner, edging out incumbent Accenture Song and rival Omnicom in the final round of the contest.
Following a nine-month pitch process, reports stated that the automaker has entered a “period of exclusivity” with WPP covering marketing work for its four core brands: Defender, Discovery, Jaguar and Range Rover. Accenture Song, which currently holds the account, will remain under contract until mid-2026, giving both sides time to negotiate terms ahead of a self-imposed deadline at the end of the first quarter.
As advertising gets pricier, FMCG firms reassess quick commerce spend
India’s consumer goods companies are growing more cautious about advertising on quick commerce platforms, as rising promotional costs begin to erode the channel’s once-attractive margins.
Fast-moving consumer goods makers have flagged concerns that quick commerce platforms are increasingly auctioning premium placements and peak-hour visibility, driving up advertising spends, according to a report by The Economic Times. Brands say they are paying significantly more to secure top search results and prominent listings, particularly during high-traffic shopping windows.
Paramount records largest TV share gain in November; Netflix follows with strong growth: Nielsen
Nielsen’s November 2025 Media Distributor Gauge revealed a complex television landscape defined by live sports, strategic streaming releases and the Thanksgiving holiday. Paramount and Netflix each clocked double-digit growth over October, capitalizing on strong content slates and disrupting the Media Distributor rankings this month.
Paramount recorded a 14% increase in overall viewing in November and finished the month with its largest share of TV since April, capturing 8.9% of total watch-time and climbing to No. 3 in the Media Distributor Gauge rankings. Paramount’s 0.7-point gain was the largest among all distributors, and was fueled equally by its broadcast and streaming properties. CBS affiliates and Paramount+ each climbed over 18%, contributing 0.5 and 0.2 share points, respectively, to Paramount’s total.
Creator earnings to rise 10–15% annually as influencer marketing heads to Rs 4,500 crore
India's vast and still-expanding social media economy is beginning to translate scale into sustained income for its creators, particularly at the smallest end of the spectrum.
The country has nearly 500 million social media users and an estimated 2.5 million to 3.5 million influencers. Over the next few years, creator incomes are expected to grow at mid-double-digit rates, driven by rising brand investment and the increasing use of artificial intelligence in content production and marketing, industry executives said.
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