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Originally found more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the sting of chili on the mouth were validated. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on social media content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of connecting with customers. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was paramount.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by users, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in declines in traditional media advertising. In the UK, commercial funding 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

It also reflects a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

Leon Harlow said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers from conventional channels and they’re spending a lot more time on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the creators they engage with more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by targeting content creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, industry figures said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”