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Originally found over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

The company's social media lead, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, ad revenues for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”