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First identified more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to advertising goods in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without dampening the fun” was paramount.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? 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 mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects profound shifts happening in audience habits, with younger consumers allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with numerous influencers to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than total media spending. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Regardless of the massive shift, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”