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First identified over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to marketing items in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Currently, a wave of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. However, this online trend has helped convince executives 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 suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of reaching consumers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and sharing usage tips.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in TV and print advertising. In the UK, advertising income for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a merging of functions as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than the media industry overall. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”