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As a product discovered more than 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.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and devoting less capital to marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for squeaky doors. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever enhanced the tricks by tasking their in-house experts with verification 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. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, 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 spoiling the atmosphere” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

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

The shift is reflected in drops in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially 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 brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than total media spending. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as broadcasters retained the power to drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”