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Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in legacy broadcasters.

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 derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “everyday tips”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to ramp up funding for content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. 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. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with numerous influencers to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to see what works.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions 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 frame public debate.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”