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Originally found more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and devoting less capital to marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

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 byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks 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 validated. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, freshly instated, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, ad revenues for leading TV channels have declined by over six hundred million pounds in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

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

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Even with this transformation, experts 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: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”