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Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and sharing usage tips.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in drops in traditional media advertising. In the UK, ad revenues for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as large companies almost become production houses themselves, partnering with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”