‘Online Monitoring’: The Consumer Goods Giant Looks to Exploit Vaseline’s Viral TikTok Trend.

Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and devoting less capital to advertising goods in traditional media.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Its use has even extended to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks 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 validated. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would whiten teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

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

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said interacting online “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do 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 transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic spending more time on digital networks than television, magazines or radio.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with numerous influencers to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

Such methods are increasing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

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.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”