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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the 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 lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates seismic changes happening in audience habits, with younger consumers allocating more attention to digital networks than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for primary networks have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”