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Originally found more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Assertions that it diminished the sting of chili on the mouth were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. But the Vaseline phenomenon has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by declines in TV and print advertising. Across Britain, advertising income for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. In the US, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”