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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in traditional media.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by declines in traditional media advertising. In the UK, advertising income for primary networks have declined by over six hundred million pounds in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on 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 more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”