HUL creator roster swells 11-fold in a year as it targets young

One number captures the explosion of India's creator economy and its ability to shape consumer behaviour: 8,000. It's the count of social media influencers Hindustan Unilever Ltd engaged with in the ongoing fiscal.

- Suneera Tandon & Pratishtha Bagai

This roster, according to the company, has swollen over elevenfold from 700 in one year.

For India's largest consumer goods maker, which spent ₹16,380 crore on marketing in fiscal 2024, television campaigns have historically been the dominant way to target potential customers, with Bollywood stars from Shahrukh Khan to Ananya Pandey endorsing its brands. Now, the young, social media-first generation has made the company draft in creators to promote its Indulekha hair oil and Lakme lotions to Surf Excel detergent. The shift has been drastic. Last year, HUL partnered with over 200 influencers for just Vim dishwasher.