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First identified more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “everyday tips”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were given the thumbs up. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? 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 one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The approach indicates profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

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

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

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: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”