🔗 Share this article

First identified more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by asking their own scientists to test them and sharing the findings with influencers.

Assertions that it diminished the sting of chili on the mouth were given the thumbs up. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or extend lashes were refuted.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

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 inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects seismic changes happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, advertising income for leading TV channels have declined by over six hundred million pounds in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Across the United States, 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, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

The executive noted: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”