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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Billboards and TV ads would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. But the Vaseline phenomenon has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has stated the intention is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without killing the party” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This remains our core objective as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and sharing usage tips.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in declines in broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, advertising income for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a merging of functions as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”