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Originally found over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix 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, marketers at Unilever enhanced the tricks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or extend lashes were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, 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 paramount.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This remains our core objective as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, where we would just broadcast out … Currently, it's countless discussions, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by drops in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. Stateside, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, 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.

The executive noted: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”