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Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Claims that it would brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

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 interacting online “without dampening the fun” was paramount.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers spending more time on social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in declines in traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with numerous influencers to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

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 test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, experts 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: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”