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First identified more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an promotional upheaval, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in traditional media.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was paramount.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates seismic changes happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to 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 individuals they follow more than they trust ads. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to drive countrywide discourse.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. 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.”