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First identified over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an promotional upheaval, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to advertising goods in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and restore leather handbags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said participating on platforms “without killing the party” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. Across Britain, advertising income for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a merging of functions as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with hundreds of content creators to boost their products.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, industry figures said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”