🔗 Share this article

Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational 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 given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend 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”. Unilever's CEO, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was essential.

“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.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The approach indicates dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”