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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in traditional media.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

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

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by asking their own scientists to test them and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might bleach teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Billboards and TV ads would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

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

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, advertising income for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

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

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences 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.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”