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First identified over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline could hardly be considered an clear candidate for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on advertising goods in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever enhanced the tricks by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Billboards and TV ads 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 monitoring of online platforms to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was crucial.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

“Having your brand advocated by users, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on social media platforms than traditional TV, print, 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.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with hundreds of content creators to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to see what works.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. In the US, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”