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First identified more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever enhanced the tricks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has led decision-makers to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences 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. The shift of the algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, 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 strategy reflects dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, partnering with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

Leon Harlow said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending 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

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”