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First identified over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and devoting less capital to advertising goods in traditional media.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Assertions that it diminished the sting of chili on the mouth were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

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

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers allocating more attention to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by drops in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”