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First identified more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Currently, a wave of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

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 turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, 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 has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, 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.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers allocating more attention to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in declines in broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, advertising income for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a merging of functions as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube 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 noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

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 shape the national conversation.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”