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First identified over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to ramp up funding for content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and sharing usage tips.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

This plan mirrors profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, collaborating with hundreds of content creators 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 their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures 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 TV channels continued to possess the influence to drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”