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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and devoting less capital to marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational enhanced the tricks by asking their own scientists to test them and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the sting of chili on the mouth were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend 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 reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This remains our core objective as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates seismic changes happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, commercial funding for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a merging of functions as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”