Unilever’s Social Media Spending to Surge From 30% to 50% of Total Marketing Expenditure
In his first public appearance as Unilever’s new CEO, Fernando Fernandez didn’t hold back.
His vision? A seismic shift in marketing strategy that could redefine how global brands engage with consumers.
If you thought Unilever was big before, brace yourself—because it’s about to get even bigger, louder, and more digital than ever.
Speaking to Barclays’ Warren Ackerman, Fernandez, who took over the reins of the consumer goods giant in March, laid out an aggressive marketing overhaul that leans heavily into social media, influencer marketing, and AI-driven content strategies.
Fernandez made it clear: brands can no longer rely solely on their own voice.
“Today, brands—by definition and by default—are met with scepticism when their messages come directly from corporations,” he explained.
The solution?
The End of Traditional Brand Messaging
A massive shift towards third-party advocacy, with influencers, celebrities, and TikTokers leading the charge.
Unilever has already embraced the power of social media.
Last year, it partnered with TikTok to launch a #CleanTok content hub that racked up a staggering 98.5 billion views in just 12 months.
Now, Fernandez wants to take things even further.
Marketing budgets are shifting, and fast. Unilever’s marketing spend has jumped from 13% in 2022 to nearly 16% today, a level Fernandez calls “competitive.”
But the real headline?
The company’s social media spend is about to skyrocket, moving from 30% to 50% of total marketing expenditure.
“We will work with 20 times more influencers,” Fernandez declared, underscoring a commitment to hyper-local engagement at a scale never seen before.
“There are 19,000 ZIP codes in India and 5,764 municipalities in Brazil. I want at least one influencer in each of them. In some, I want 100,” he added.
To achieve this, Unilever will lean heavily on AI to fuel a ‘machine-like’ approach to content creation—something Fernandez says is a radical departure from the past.
Fixing Geographical Weak Spots & Expanding Global Power
Beyond marketing, Fernandez acknowledged some of Unilever’s historical geographical challenges.
While the U.S. and India are considered “anchor markets,” China and Indonesia have struggled.
“We have not been good enough in rolling out our brands globally,” he admitted.
“I believe we need a wider presence of our strongest brands.”
The solution?
More aggressive expansion of its top-30 brands, a stronger premiumisation strategy, and a keen focus on acquisitions and disposals.
One thing is clear: Fernandez is not a CEO who will be sitting in boardrooms all day.
“I will be all over the brand’s plans, demand generation, and in-market execution. That is where I will spend 95% of my time,” he stated.
With a powerhouse portfolio that includes Dove, Hellmann’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, and Lifebuoy, Unilever is already an FMCG giant.
But if Fernandez has his way, its next chapter will be one of digital-first dominance—fuelled by influencers, AI, and a marketing machine that never sleeps.
