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Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a popular subject on TikTok has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of connecting with customers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, since the era of community gossip and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

She added: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”