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

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in traditional media.

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 derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “everyday tips”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation boosted the tips by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, 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, since the era of community gossip and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in declines in broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, advertising income for primary networks have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to promote their goods.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, experts said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”