🔗 Share this article

As a product discovered more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

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. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sting of chili on the mouth were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and sharing usage tips.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by declines in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for major broadcasters 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, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers from conventional channels and their time is increasingly 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 personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the media industry overall. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”