🔗 Share this article

First identified more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and devoting less capital to advertising goods in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This remains our core objective as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic devoting greater hours to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

It also reflects a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they’re spending a lot more time on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the individuals they follow 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 test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than total media spending. In the US, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”