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Originally found over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were given the thumbs up. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” 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 talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for traditional media advertising. In the UK, advertising income for primary networks have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with numerous influencers to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence 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 believe there is absolutely a role for them.”