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As a product discovered over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

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 residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the sting of chili on the mouth were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic spending more time on digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as brands effectively act as media producers, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than total media spending. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums 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 drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities 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 … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”