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As a product discovered over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has stated the intention is 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 interacting online “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers allocating more attention to social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for TV and print advertising. In the UK, commercial funding for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they’re spending a lot more time on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

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.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”