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Originally found over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Claims that it would brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were refuted.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

The company's social media lead, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects seismic changes happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in declines in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media 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 consumers have more faith in suggestions from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

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

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”