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Originally found over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Assertions that it diminished the sting of chili on the mouth were confirmed. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Claims that it would bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on social media content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This remains our core objective as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors seismic changes happening in audience habits, with younger consumers allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for primary networks have declined by over six hundred million pounds in real terms since 2019.

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.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”