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Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of amateur-created clips have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might bleach teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just transmit messages … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates profound shifts happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences 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. Across Britain, commercial funding for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

Additionally, it points to a blurring of media roles as brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

Leon Harlow 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 watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

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 drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”