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Originally found more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

Originally produced in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

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

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or extend lashes were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This remains our core objective 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 transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates profound shifts happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. In the UK, ad revenues for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, partnering with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

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

He added firms may also cut expenditures by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than total media spending. Stateside, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”