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First identified more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok 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 conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix 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, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the sting of chili on the mouth were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was paramount.

“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 sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

This plan mirrors seismic changes happening in audience habits, with younger consumers spending more time on social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in traditional media advertising. In the UK, commercial funding for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

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

Such methods are increasing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments 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.”