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As a product discovered over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

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

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sting of chili on the mouth were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

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 interacting online “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? 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 broadcast out … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in declines in broadcast and newspaper ads. Across Britain, advertising income for leading TV channels have declined by over six hundred million pounds in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

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

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”