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Originally found more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a popular subject on TikTok has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational 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. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

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

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and sharing usage tips.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in declines in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for leading TV channels have declined by over six hundred million pounds in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to see what works.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as broadcasters retained the power to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”