New Unilever CEO Wants An Influencer in Every Pin Code in India

Fernando Fernandez, Unilever’s newly appointed CEO, isn’t wasting any time making major changes. A massive investment in influencer marketing. Instead of sticking to traditional ads, Fernandez wants real people, creators, influencers, and celebrities to be the face of Unilever’s brands.

Shift in Social Media Spending

In his first public interview with Warren Ackerman, Fernandez clarified his strategy: “Today, brands, by definition and by default, are met with scepticism when their messages come directly from corporations.” Instead of corporate-driven messaging, he wants others to vouch for Unilever at scale.

Unilever has always been a marketing giant, but now, its social media game is getting a serious boost. Fernandez revealed that the company’s marketing spending has increased from 13% in 2022 to nearly 16%. However, the bigger shift is in social media, where spending will jump from 30% to 50% of the total budget.

And influencers are at the centre of it all. “We will work with 20 times more influencers,” Fernandez confirmed. This means more opportunities for creators/influencers worldwide to collaborate with Unilever’s brands.

It’s not just about Numbers

Fernandez’s influencer strategy isn’t limited to big cities or popular creators. He wants Unilever to reach deep into communities across the world.

“There are 19,000 Zip codes & 1,55,000 Pin 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 said.

This move marks a huge departure from Unilever’s previous marketing strategies, making influencers key to the brand’s expansion plans.

Why Influencer Marketing Makes Sense for Unilever?

Unilever isn’t new to influencer marketing, it has seen success with campaigns like #CleanTok on TikTok, which racked up a staggering 98.5 billion views in 2023. With Unilever serving over 3.4 billion people daily, the potential impact of this strategy is massive. But Fernandez acknowledges there’s still work to be done.

Fixing Global Gaps & Strengthening Brand Presence

While Unilever is in 190+ countries, Fernandez believes some markets need more attention. “Fixing some of the geographical issues we have, like in China, Indonesia, and accelerating India, is very important for me at this point,” he said.

Expanding Unilever’s strongest brands and ensuring they have a stronger presence worldwide. “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.”

What This Means for Creators?

With Unilever going all in on influencer marketing, content creators, big and small, now have more chances than ever to work with the brand. Even if you’re a niche creator from a small town in India, Unilever is looking for voices to amplify its brand. It’s a bold step toward a more organic, people-driven marketing future for Unilever. For influencers, it’s a game-changing opportunity.