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Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Currently, a wave of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and sharing the findings with influencers.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. This was also the case for ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“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 mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates seismic changes happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than television, magazines or radio.

The shift is reflected in declines in traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as brands effectively act as media producers, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers 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.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

Such methods are increasing. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”