‘Online Monitoring’: Unilever Looks to Exploit Vaseline’s TikTok Moment.

As a product discovered more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on advertising goods in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

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 burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

Selina Sykes, 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 dampening the fun” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … 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 users, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

It also reflects a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with numerous influencers to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. 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, industry figures said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”