Unilever started it, now everyone wants in on it. Budgets are growing, moments are multiplying and the rules are changing. Our Social Media for Drummies buyer’s guide is your helpful shortcut to making smarter social investments.
The move didn’t just swell spend, it loudly and clearly signaled to the market that creator-led content is no longer a side hustle for brands – it’s a strategic pillar. And, like all market-moving moments, it changed the economics overnight.
In the months after Fernando Fernandez, Unilever’s president of beauty and wellbeing, declared the ambition to have a brand influencer in every postcode, social and influencer agencies reported a surge in briefs, budgets and urgency. FMCG peers including Premier Foods and Nescafé followed suit. Creator rates jumped by as much as 30%, as reported in this analysis from The Drum’s Jennifer Faull, with micro- and niche influencers commanding fees once reserved for mega-names.
For creators, this has meant more leverage and longer-term contracts. Influencers are acting as consultants, cultural strategists and event hosts, as well as content producers. But it has also fuelled new caution. Creators are more selective and wary of ad fatigue and brand misalignment. The Unilever effect is reshaping social media in a big way, from how campaigns are planned to how brands measure success.
The Unilever effect
Unilever’s public pivot legitimized a channel still seen in some quarters as “nice to have.” It gave CMOs permission to invest at scale and the ripple effects are still spreading. The market now faces:
-
Higher entry costs (30% rate inflation, especially among micro-influencers and specialist voices)
-
Longer lead times (popular talent is booking out months ahead)
-
Shift to partnerships (brands are locking in year-long or multi-campaign deals to secure talent and build consistency)
-
UGC surge (as influencer rates climb, brands are turning to everyday creators for affordable, paid-boosted content)
What this means for you: If influencers are in your mix for 2025, budget for higher rates, plan earlier and think long-term. The days of “can we go live next week?” are over.
Social’s creative reset
As more money floods into creator marketing, the pressure is on to make it count creatively. The social feed in 2025 is loud, chaotic and overproduced in equal measure – which is why lo-fi, ‘unhinged authenticity’ is cutting through [along with these nine other trends].
From Dept’s call for “ugly but honest” content to Nadine Müller’s advice to “stop thinking like broadcasters and start feeling like subcultures” [explored in our crowdsourced social playbook] brands are leaning into chaos, imperfection and community-native language. Alexandra Mathieu of Open Influence summed it up: “Post with the desired post-post in mind.” The win isn’t always the post itself, but the remix, the stitch, the group chat screenshot it inspires.
Beth Thomas, co-founder of Slice, when speaking with The Drum’s Amy Houston, took it further: “Every piece of social content is an ad. If you wouldn’t put it somewhere else, why is it OK for it to live on social?” Her point: social needs the same strategic rigor as any other channel. No filler posts. No ‘just because’ trends.
What this means for you: Test lo-fi formats, but do it with intention. Let creators lead in their own voice. And treat every asset as part of a bigger brand story, not a standalone stunt.
Influence is everywhere
Creators aren’t confined to feeds any more. From feed to street campaigns to curated storefronts, the most effective brands are making influencer content travel.
Jenny Penich of Influencer calls it being the “connective tissue” between brands, creators and audiences, with campaigns starting on social and appearing in Times Square, CTV slots and OOH. LTK’s Kristi O’Brien frames it as infrastructure, enabling creator commerce wherever the consumer is with geo-targeted discovery, shoppable posts and affiliate conversion baked in.
TikTok, meanwhile, is positioning itself as the home for life’s “magic moments” – cultural and personal – urging brands to own them across channels, from back-to-school rituals to the Oscars.
What this means for you: Don’t silo social. Plan for multichannel amplification from the start. The asset that hooks on TikTok should have a role in your retail display, your OOH creative and your email funnel.
Owning the moment economy
In sport, music and live events, the real value is no longer just in the 90 minutes or the broadcast window, it’s in everything around it. OneFootball’s Eddie Rivoldi calls it “the match-day feed,” serving fans real-time updates, memes and behind-the-scenes stories before, during and after the game.
TikTok and EyeSee research shows that conversation often spikes after the moment as audiences relive, remix and react. Brands that stay active in that post-event window build loyalty and cultural capital.
What this means for you: Extend your campaign timeline. Plan content for before, during and after the cultural moment. Post-moment engagement shouldn’t be an afterthought; it’s where community bonds form.
The new influencer playbook
Billion Dollar Boy’s research revealed a common trap: brands brief creator campaigns for brand building but measure them like performance ads. ROI and customer acquisition still dominate boardroom reporting, even when the stated goal is awareness.
Add in the rise of AI influencers such as Wimbledon’s Mia Zelu and O2’s Daisy [the impact of which was explored by Ben Hopkins, creative director at VCCP’s AI agency Faith], and the playbook is evolving again. Virtual talent offers message control and availability but raises new questions about authenticity, attribution and narrative control. And as Ipsos’s Coldplay-kiss-cam case study showed, controversy – planned or accidental – can spike reach if handled strategically.
What this means for you: Align your goals and metrics from the start. Decide whether virtual influence fits your brand’s risk profile. And be ready to act fast when culture hands you the mic – even if it’s messy.
Suggested newsletters for you
Daily Briefing
Daily
Catch up on the most important stories of the day, curated by our editorial team.
Weekly Marketing
Friday
Stay up to date with a curated digest of the most important marketing stories and expert insights from our global team.
The Drum Insider
Once a month
Learn how to pitch to our editors and get published on The Drum.
Building for the future audience
The Skibidi Toilet generation will vote and shop in just a few years. Jo Bromilow, director of social and influencer at MSL UK, warns that Gen Alpha has grown up in a hyper-connected, high-noise media diet and will expect values-led engagement without performative posturing.
Platform behavior is shifting, too. Social search is replacing Google for lifestyle and product discovery. Short-form vertical video is the default. AI is a creative sidekick, not the star. And communities (we’re talking real ones, where members talk to each other, not just to the brand) are the new currency.
What this means for you: Build for long-term trust. Optimize for discovery on social-first search. And start investing in community spaces now, before your competitors own the conversation.
Your 2025 social media buyer’s checklist
So before you sign off on your next social spend, ask:
-
Are we budgeting for the new cost of influence? Factor in higher rates, longer lead times and lock talent early.
-
Does every asset earn its place? Treat social content with the same strategic weight as other media.
-
Can this creative travel? Plan multi-channel amplification from day one.
-
Are we owning the moment – and the post-moment? Extend the campaign arc beyond the live event.
-
Do our metrics match our goals? Awareness briefs need brand KPIs, not last-click sales reports.
-
Are we ready for AI and virtual talent? Define where it adds value and where it risks authenticity.
-
Are we building for future audiences? Align content, tone and values to emerging behaviors.
For more useful resources on Social Media for Drummies, also check out:
link