🔗 Share this article

Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on advertising goods in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to stop the scourge of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the sting of chili on the mouth were given the thumbs up. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would bleach teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was essential.

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

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects profound shifts happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than television, magazines or radio.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. In the UK, commercial funding for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

Such methods are increasing. Marketing investment on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”