More influencers, more problems? Unilever’s big gamble.

I have been in influencer marketing for 12 years (woah, let’s take a moment for that…), and one thing is clear: brands are finally catching up to what actually works.

Leveraging influencers is the most economic way to reach your customer base and here at Ludlow Social, I am going to sing that from the rooftops.

So let’s unpack what’s on everyone’s mind and talk about Unilever—the latest brand to throw down serious money on influencer marketing.

Ready? Ok, let’s dig in! 

💡 Unilever’s Big Bet on Influencers: Genius or Just a Mess in the Making?

ICYMI, Unilever is going all in—20x more influencers, 50% of ad spend shifting to social. Marketers are hyped (because finally, big brands are treating influencer marketing like a core media buy).

BUT—and this is a big one —scaling influencer marketing isn’t easy. I’ve worked inside agencies and with major brands, and I know what happens when brands try to scale too fast:

🚨 Overpaying for “name” creators while ignoring the ones who actually convert. Also ignoring the ones who actually use the product but who may not have the exact stats to match.

🚨 Chaotic execution = delays, messy messaging, and wasted budget.

🚨 The brand loses control of its own story because it hands too much power over to talent.

The hard truth?

The smartest brands aren’t just spending more—they’re spending smarter. I’ve seen mid-tier creators drive 2.3x more conversions than mega-influencers when chosen strategically. But most brands don’t actually know how to do that.

The real question: Who’s actually going to help Unilever pull this off? (Because trust me, not all agencies and tech partners are built for this… and I have thoughts.)

Want to talk about how to scale influence the right way  📩 Book a Discovery Call or just hit reply—I’d love to chat.

📍 PS: The excitement for The Beauty Social is so special! Our NYC event on April 7 is sold out. Drop your name on the list here to be notified for future events. For those in LA, don’t miss out on our summer cocktail party and join the waitlist here!