Unilever’s social-first strategy pays off for beauty and wellbeing, but softer markets temper outlook

Unilever’s full-year results show stronger performance from brands heavily backed by social and creator-led marketing, even as the group warned of softer growth in 2026.

Dove, Vaseline and Liquid I.V. were among the company’s fastest-growing brands in 2025, helping lift Beauty & Wellbeing into one of its strongest divisions. The category grew 4.3% and now accounts for roughly a quarter of group turnover.

Dove grew 9% during the year, supported by the rollout of its fibre repair range. In the US, Dove Hair sales rose 20%, according to the company. Liquid I.V. grew 16%, becoming a billion-dollar brand and reaching more than 18% of US households. Vaseline delivered double-digit volume growth for a second consecutive year.

Overall, Unilever reported 3.5% underlying sales growth for 2025, with fourth-quarter growth of 4.2%, ahead of expectations. However, it said it expects underlying sales growth in 2026 to land at the lower end of its 4% to 6% multi-year guidance range.

Announcing the figures, Unilever said it had “accelerated [its] shift to social-first demand generation,” with Dove and Vaseline “embracing creator-led content and always-on digital engagement.”

The reference reflects a broader strategy championed by chief executive Fernando Fernandez. Last March, he committed to pushing 50% of Unilever’s global media spend into social platforms, up from roughly 30% previously.

In December, the company revealed it was working with nearly 300,000 creators worldwide. Earlier reporting by The Daily Influence also showed Unilever’s TikTok Shop storefronts across Southeast Asia generating multi-million-dollar revenues in 2025, with Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines emerging as significant commerce hubs.

Social-led boost

Unilever’s best-performing brands benefited from strong traction on social platforms, much of it sparked organically.

Vaseline’s momentum followed a surge of TikTok videos showcasing unexpected uses for the product. Creators demonstrated applying it under perfume to make scents last longer, using it to revive leather goods and coating fingers before eating crisps to prevent flavour residue.

Unilever leaned into the trend by testing selected claims in its labs and publishing the results, confirming some uses and debunking others.

Liquid I.V., a powdered electrolyte drink mix, has also become one of Unilever’s most visible commerce brands on TikTok in the US. As previously reported by The Daily Influence, it generated $7.8 million in TikTok Shop revenue in 2025, selling nearly 370,000 units and attracting more than 425 million views.

Dove’s gains were supported by new product launches and creator content across TikTok and Instagram, according to the company.

The performance of Dove, Vaseline and Liquid I.V. suggests the social-first push is working in priority categories. The next test is whether Unilever can extend that momentum across the wider portfolio.

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