🔗 Share this article

First identified more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to marketing items in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sting of chili on the mouth were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for TV and print advertising. In the UK, commercial funding for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

This further signifies a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, partnering with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

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

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”