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First identified over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items 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. Now, a flood of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sting of chili on the mouth were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or extend lashes were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic devoting greater hours to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

This further signifies a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, partnering with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by targeting content creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”