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As a product discovered over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to stop the scourge of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without spoiling the atmosphere” 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.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than television, magazines or radio.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. In the UK, ad revenues for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a merging of functions as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

Such methods are increasing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”