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Originally found more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of amateur-created clips have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. Its use has even extended to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, however, they are large.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors seismic changes happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic devoting greater hours to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. Across Britain, commercial funding for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”