‘Online Monitoring’: The Consumer Goods Giant Looks to Exploit Vaseline’s TikTok Moment.

Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by asking their own scientists to test them and sharing the findings with influencers.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sting of chili on the mouth were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and restore leather handbags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or extend lashes were refuted.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

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

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

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

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to 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 over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the media industry overall. In the US, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”