Unilever doubles down on influencers in response to shifts in media consumption habits and tech adoption

Unilever is gearing up to hire more social media influencers to market its products because consumers are “suspicious” of corporate branding.

“Messages of brands coming from corporations are suspicious messages,” said new Chief Executive Fernando Fernandez, in his first public comments since taking over from ousted predecessor Hein Schumacher at the beginning of the month. “Creating marketing activity systems in which others can speak for your brand at scale is very important.”

“Unilever's decision to amplify its social media investment and influencer collaborations is a strategic response to shifts in our media consumption habits and tech adoption. Increasingly we’re swapping traditional media for digital media and rejecting - or even blocking - advertising formats that interrupt our user experience. Brands now have to work harder to earn user attention," says Thomas Walters, Europe CEO and Co-Founder at Billion Dollar Boy, a creator agency and partner to Unilever brands.   

This shift is encouraging more brands to pivot away from broad brush, one way ad spots via TV, radio and OOH channels and instead invest more in personalised social media first advertising. As a result, global social ad spend worldwide is projected to grow by almost 10% to a value of $433.28 billion by 2030. But, amid an escalating competition for consumer attention online, how do brands stand out among the crowd and ensure their investment goes further?

“Unilever’s solution is to double down on creators. They recognise that consumers trust people, not ads. As we enter a new era of advocacy driven marketing, leveraging the social authority and cultural relevance of creators can help brands to meet their audiences in the digital communities in which they exist and connect with them in a more deep, and meaningful way.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Social media will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which will open for entries in March, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.