'40% of spends are on digital media; Over 12,000 influencers collaborate with our brands': HUL's Nitin Paranjpe

Hindustan Unilever is sharply expanding its digital footprint and influencer partnerships in a bid to keep pace with India’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape. At the company’s 92nd annual general meeting, Chairman Nitin Paranjpe said that the fast-moving consumer goods giant now allocates 40 percent of its advertising budget to digital media, reflecting the growing importance of social-first marketing strategies in India’s consumption story. The company has also scaled its influencer network to 12,000 creators, a striking increase from around 700 the previous year.

HUL hikes influencer spends by 40%, ropes in 12,000 creators in FY25

"We have significantly boosted our investments in digital marketing – today 40% of our spending is on digital media," Paranjpe said. HUL is optimizing a "social-first" approach in marketing to reach new-age consumers, the chairman added.

Hindustan Unilever, which makes brands including Surf Excel, Dove, Lakme, Closeup, Red Label and Bru, reported a turnover of ₹60,680 crore for the fiscal year ended March 2025, with profit reaching ₹10,644 crore.

The company has leaned into vernacular influencer marketing to broaden the reach of its beauty and well-being brands, while developing a “Winning in Many Indias” strategy that tailors offerings to the country's diverse consumer base across economic segments.

"We are deploying the Winning in Many Indias (WiMI) 2.0 approach to reach our consumers. WiMI 2.0 is based on the understanding that consumers across the economic pyramid will have varied interests and expectations, including what they buy and where they shop," Paranjpe said.

HUL boosts digital media spending to 40% of total ad budget

“Consumers today are more aspirational, with sentiments, tastes, and preferences evolving rapidly,” he cautioned, and added, “As a company, we have become more obsessive about "sensing" what consumers want and need, and "delivering" at the right place and time.”

Hindustan Unilever has also invested in consumer-centric research and data-driven marketing.

It launched an Agile Innovation Hub to identify emerging trends and develop new products, including Stratos, a skincare technology certified by the Skin Health Alliance UK and the British Skin Foundation, with over 20 patents filed.

The company is betting on India’s expanding digital infrastructure. The FMCG major has infused significant capital in e-commerce and quick commerce platforms to optimize data-driven insights to ensure advertising reach, the right assortment, and product placement.

During the AGM, Paranjpe also called out India’s Digital Public Infrastructure as one of its greatest future advantages, and hailed the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) for levelling the playing field for kiranawallas and retailers across the nation. At the same time, he mentioned that getting sellers and resellers to leverage e-commerce and improve India’s e-retail penetration is a tall order.

Addressing shareholders, Paranjpe highlighted Hindustan Unilever’s commitment to climate and societal issues as critical to its long-term strategy. The company will prioritize action across climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods while nurturing a corporate culture that embraces “freedom of thought and ideas,” he said.

He also emphasised the need to have the right talent to win in the new world and said, “We truly believe that market leadership follows thought leadership and fosters a culture that enables freedom of thought and ideas, helping us win in the future.”

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