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Originally found more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might bleach teeth or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic allocating more attention to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in declines in traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

It also reflects a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

Leon Harlow said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention from conventional channels and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

Such methods are increasing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than total media spending. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”