🔗 Share this article

First identified more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

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

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has indicated the goal is 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 spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said interacting online “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The approach indicates seismic changes happening in audience habits, with younger consumers spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for primary networks have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects 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: “Naturally, an exodus of attention away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than the media industry overall. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, industry figures said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still 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.”