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

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

Originally produced in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … Currently, it's countless discussions, 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 users, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. Across Britain, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, 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 they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”