The WARC Podcast

Unilever's marketing refresh and the rise of B2B creators

8 snips
Jul 8, 2025
Esi Eggleston Bracey, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Unilever, shares insights on the company’s marketing refresh and its innovative influencer strategies. Brand consultant Eugene Healey delves into the rise of B2B creators and the cultural role brands play. Katrina Sturton-Dodd, Editor at Contagious, discusses standout campaigns from Cannes, like the impactful initiatives by Indian Railways and AXA. Together, they explore the shift towards human-centric marketing and the importance of cultural engagement in today’s branding landscape.
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INSIGHT

Many-to-Many Brand Communication

  • Brand building fundamentals stay the same, but media, technology, and culture are rapidly changing how brands connect.
  • The shift is from one-to-many communication to many-to-many, with brands embedded authentically in culture.
INSIGHT

How Unilever is Winning Culture by Redefining Brand Communication

Unilever is shifting from a traditional one-to-many communication model to a many-to-many model where brands are embedded deeply in culture and leverage creators authentically.

Esi Eggleston Bracey explains their approach to "desire at scale"—transforming brands from meeting basic needs to being truly desirable and culturally relevant through creator partnerships and community content.

Campaigns like Dove's "Share the First" show how creators lead narratives to authentically engage communities, while Vaseline's "Verified" campaign illustrates leveraging user-generated content combined with branded scientific validation.

This cultural embedding drives increased engagement and tangible sales lift, moving beyond simply broadcasting messages to earning a credible, value-adding place within culture.

ANECDOTE

Dove's "Share the First" Campaign

  • Dove's "Share the First" campaign encourages women to share their first photos before posting.
  • Partnering with pop singer Bebe and local nano influencers made the campaign culturally embedded and authentic.
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