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Originally found more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in traditional media.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sting of chili on the mouth were validated. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would brighten smiles or extend lashes were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just broadcast out … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in declines in broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, ad revenues for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”