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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, 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 Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic allocating more attention to social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by declines in TV and print advertising. In the UK, ad revenues for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

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

Leon Harlow said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”