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Originally found more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and devoting less capital to advertising goods in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sting of chili on the mouth were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, 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

This plan mirrors profound shifts happening in audience habits, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”