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Originally found over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational boosted the tips 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 validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and restore leather handbags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

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

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “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, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences 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, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by declines in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the creators they engage with more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the media industry overall. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still 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 believe there is absolutely a role for them.”