MUMBAI: HUL is putting its marketing money where the scroll is. Hindustan Unilever is expanding its digital and creator-led strategy in India, building a 30,000-creator ecosystem while directing more than 60 per cent of media spend for its premium brands towards digital channels.
The move marks a broader shift in how HUL is building demand, with creators becoming part of a social-first engine rather than a campaign-by-campaign add-on. The company has said its multi-brand influencer approach now covers 100 per cent of its brands, supported by next-generation technology and an advocacy-led model.
Creators are also being backed by AI-enabled content studios, as HUL looks to produce more content while making its media deployment faster and more responsive.
The digital tilt is particularly pronounced for premium brands, where HUL is putting 2X more investment behind the portfolio. More than 60 per cent of their media spend is going into digital, alongside investments in specialised channels.
That approach extends beyond advertising. HUL’s market-making strategy combines social-first demand generation with product development, trials, education, sampling and partnerships — essentially trying to build interest before the product reaches the shopping basket.
AI is becoming another cog in that machine. HUL plans to use AI-enabled content studios to transform content creation, improve media effectiveness and optimise returns in real time. It is also using a proprietary media deployment tool as part of its AI-led media strategy.
The shift is not only about where HUL advertises, but also how its brands are being shaped for younger audiences. Kissan, for instance, is being repositioned from a condiment brand into a broader flavour-focused platform, with food and flavour pairings, Indian culinary textures and flavours, and expert ecosystems involving nutritionists and chefs forming part of the proposition.
Packaging and a Gen Z-first approach are also being folded into the Kissan strategy, reflecting HUL’s wider attempt to make established brands more culturally relevant to younger consumers.
The company’s broader growth strategy centres on building desirable brands, creating a future-fit go-to-market model and using AI as a key enabler — with creators increasingly sitting at the intersection of all three.
