Unilever’s social-first strategy is starting to show results

Unilever’s social-first strategy is delivering material results on TikTok Shop across Asia, with several of its regional storefronts generating multi-million-dollar revenues and billion-plus view counts on the platform.

Data from ecommerce intelligence platform Charm.io shows Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines ranking among the conglomerate’s highest-performing TikTok Shop markets, as consumers snap up deals on brands including Vaseline, Dove and Pond’s.

Unilever TikTok Shop performance by selected markets in 2025. Source: Charm.io

Vietnam-based Unilever store, Chăm Sóc Cá Nhân, is currently leading the pack, generating $9.1 million in revenue from TikTok Shop sales in 2025, driven by nearly 969 million video views and close to 1.9 million items sold. The shop has become one of Unilever’s most visible commerce hubs on the platform, regularly running live shopping sessions and promotions to drive sales.

Thailand and the Philippines are also emerging as major growth engines. Vaseline Thailand generated $6.9 million in revenue on TikTok Shop in 2025, supported by roughly 1.9 billion views and more than 1.1 million items sold, while Unilever Beauty PH recorded $7.5 million in revenue, propelled by an estimated 2 billion video views and over 1 million items sold.

Across Indonesia, Unilever’s footprint is broader and more fragmented, but still significant. Its verified Unilever Official Store generated $3.6 million in sales, while brands including Pond’s, Vaseline Indonesia and Daily Care by Unilever each surpassed $1.9 million in revenue, with individual stores attracting billions of cumulative views.

In the US, Unilever’s strongest TikTok Shop performer is Liquid I.V., a powdered electrolyte drink mix, which generated $7.8 million in revenue, selling nearly 370,000 units and attracting more than 425 million views. 

The scale suggests TikTok Shop has moved from test-and-learn territory to a meaningful revenue channel for the group. It also lifts the lid on Unilever’s increasingly aggressive social-first approach, first signposted at the highest level in March 2025.

At the time, Unilever chief executive Fernando Fernandez committed to pushing 50% of Unilever’s global media spend into social platforms, up from roughly 30% previously. In November, the group revealed it was working with close to 300,000 creators worldwide, positioning influencers as a core media channel rather than a peripheral marketing tool.

Fernandez’s “Desire at Scale” strategy is built on the belief that consumers trust creators more than corporate messaging, and that social platforms, not TV or print, are now the most effective way to drive both culture and commerce.

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