AI and Influencers: How Unilever Turned Dove Soap into a Viral Sensation

This is a short article, “How Unilever Used AI to Make Soap Go Viral,” (Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2025), but it can be used as a jumping-off point for discussing a lot of emerging ideas about AI and promotion. The context and influencers are ideas that students can readily understand. Unilever’s bold approach to influencer marketing—amplified by generative AI—illustrates how companies are rethinking promotion to meet evolving consumer behavior. By working with tens of thousands of influencers and using tools like Nvidia’s Omniverse and its own Gen AI Content Studios, Unilever is producing thousands of digital assets weekly. These are tailored for different platforms and audiences, enabling personalized, scalable campaigns at a fraction of traditional costs.

This strategy recently helped Dove’s cookie-scented product line go viral, generating 3.5 billion impressions and attracting a wave of first-time buyers (52% of purchasers were new to Dove). By remixing influencer content through AI, Unilever maximizes reach and adaptability. Their case provides a timely, real-world example of integrated promotion, AI-assisted mass customization, and the importance of marketing information systems in action.

Links to Chapters from Essentials of Marketing

• Chapter 13: Promotion—Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy. Focuses on blending advertising, publicity, and personal selling to meet marketing objectives.
• Chapter 15: Advertising and Sales Promotion. We view influencers as a media option for advertisers.
• Chapter 16: Publicity—Promotion Using Earned, Owned, and Social Media. Ties directly to Unilever’s use of influencers and AI to expand brand reach organically and through viral promotion.
• Chapter 7: Improving Decisions with Marketing Information. Shows how Unilever uses data to select influencers, personalize content, and evaluate impact.

In-Class Activity Ideas:

1. Asset Remix Challenge: Have students use free (or school provided) AI image tools (Canva, Microsoft Designer, Adobe Firefly, Freepik, and Craiyon) to create social media visuals for a new product launch and explain how they would tailor them by platform (TikTok vs. Instagram).
2. Influencer Strategy Simulation: Small groups build a mock influencer marketing plan for a product of their choice, selecting platforms, message tone, and audience fit.
3. Debate: Human vs. AI Influencers: Should companies invest in AI-generated influencers? Have teams take pro/con positions using real-world examples like Unilever.

Discussion Questions & Answer Ideas

1. How does Unilever’s use of AI align with the promotion objectives discussed in Chapter 13? It enhances reach, customizes content, and supports awareness and trial, especially with new audiences.
2. Why might influencer marketing be considered a form of personal selling (Chapter 14)? Influencers build trust and relationships with their followers, similar to how a salesperson builds rapport.
3. What advantages does Unilever gain from creating digital twins and using AI-generated content (Chapter 9)? Note: the next edition of Essentials will include links (like this one) that cover emerging marketing and AI topics, in Chapter 9, the topic is “digital twins” (though our discussion is with respect to new product development). Digital twins can reduce costs, increase speed to market, and enable tailored messages for different audiences.
4. How does Unilever’s approach to social media reflect inbound marketing principles (Chapter 16)? Influencers and personalized content pull in consumers, encouraging them to discover and engage with the brand organically.
5. What role does marketing research play in Unilever’s strategy (Chapter 7)? It identifies influencer effectiveness, content engagement, and new consumer behavior trends.
6. Why might Unilever eventually consider AI-generated influencers? What are the potential benefits and risks (Chapter 15)? Benefits include scalability and cost savings; risks include lack of authenticity and potential audience backlash.

ChatGPT provided ideas used in this blog post.