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As a product discovered over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in traditional media.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

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.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

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

“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 talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away 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, yet they are vast.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with numerous influencers to boost their products.

Leon Harlow said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as networks still held the capability to shape the national conversation.

She added: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”