🔗 Share this article

First identified over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

Originally produced in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. Its use has even extended to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sting of chili on the mouth were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might bleach teeth or extend lashes were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects profound shifts happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

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

Influencer Marketing Expansion

This further signifies a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

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

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

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

She added: “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 … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”