Unilever is proving that meeting customers where they spend their time—scrolling through TikTok and Instagram—pays off in real dollars. The consumer goods giant grew its Beauty and Wellbeing sales by 4.3% in 2025, while Personal Care jumped 4.7%, driven largely by a bold shift toward social-first marketing and premium product innovations.
Unilever’s social-first strategy and premium innovations delivered real growth: Beauty and Wellbeing up 4.3%, Personal Care up 4.7%.
The company’s strategy centers on creating content that feels native to social platforms rather than traditional advertisements. Dove and Vaseline have embraced creator-led videos and constant digital engagement, generating over 300 assets per week per brand. This rapid-fire approach lets them tap into trending topics and cultural moments as they happen. Unilever committed to increasing global media spend on social platforms from 30% to 50%, betting big that younger consumers discover products through their feeds rather than television commercials. The company also applies robust risk management principles to its media investments to protect returns.
The results speak for themselves. Dove grew 9% overall, with hair sales soaring 20% in the United States thanks to its fiber repair range and viral creator content. One collaboration with Crumbl cookies in Walmart generated 53 million video views and 3.5 billion social impressions, hitting its six-month sales target in just four weeks.
Vaseline achieved double-digit volume growth for the second straight year, fueled partly by TikTok videos showing unexpected uses like protecting fingers while eating chips or reviving leather goods. The company worked with nearly 300,000 creators worldwide as of December to amplify its social-first approach.
Liquid I.V., the hydration brand, reached 18% of American households with 16% growth, crossing the billion-dollar threshold.
In India, premium beauty demand helped boost sales, with Dove soap performing particularly well alongside other high-end offerings. The company’s whole-body deodorant range expanded across four brands in 13 markets, capturing consumer interest in new personal care categories. Unilever also acquired Minimalist, an actives-led beauty brand, strengthening its position in India’s growing premium market.
Premium innovations played a pivotal role beyond just marketing tactics. OLLY’s gummy vitamins grew at high-single digits, while prestige brands Hourglass and K18 posted strong double-digit increases. Closeup and Pepsodent introduced premium whitening and natural ranges that pushed oral care to mid-single digit growth.
