Unilever ramps up influencer strategy, working with nearly 300,000 creators globally

Unilever is now working with close to 300,000 influencers across the globe as it accelerates its shift to social-first marketing. Chief executive Fernando Fernandez said the company has built that network in a “relatively short period of time” as it moves to treat creators as a core media channel rather than a peripheral marketing tool.

Speaking in a fireside chat with Celine Pannuti, head of the European staples and beverages team at JP Morgan, Fernandez said the FMCG group has rapidly scaled its influencer operations this year, particularly in its Beauty & Wellbeing division, where it now works with around 170,000 creators. The expansion reflects what he described as a “real revolution in social-first marketing,” as brands move away from traditional broadcast-led strategies.

“Broadcasting messages from big brands now can become suspicious,” Fernandez said, arguing that consumers increasingly trust products and brands when they are recommended by others rather than promoted directly. “Brands have to have a very solid infrastructure for what we call ‘said by others’.”

The comments provide insight into how Unilever is operationalising creator marketing at scale, treating influencers less as a campaign tactic and more as a core media channel embedded across its portfolio.

Rather than relying on a small group of high-profile creators, Fernandez described a system built around volume, reach and credibility, supported by internal infrastructure designed to manage tens of thousands of creator relationships simultaneously.

It is an approach that tracks with a broader shift across the creator economy, away from virality-led campaigns and towards longer-term, repeat collaborations with creators who build audience trust. As previously reported by The Daily Influence, brands are increasingly prioritising credibility and deeper creator relationships as influencer marketing becomes more institutionalised.

The remarks also build on Unilever’s broader push to rebalance its marketing spend toward digital and social channels, with the company on track to shift around 50 percent of its media investment into social platforms by the end of its financial year.

For Unilever, Beauty & Wellbeing has emerged as a focal point for that strategy.

Fernandez pointed to brands such as K18, which he described as “a massive brand on TikTok,” as examples of how digital-first, creator-driven marketing has reshaped growth dynamics in the category. K18 has built its brand around creator education and recommendation, working with a wide network of beauty creators rather than relying on traditional advertising.

Influencer validation, he suggested, is now inseparable from brand building in sectors where recommendations and social proof play an outsized role.