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Originally found more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by asking their own scientists to test them and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the sting of chili on the mouth were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or extend lashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

The company's social media lead, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was paramount.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This remains our core objective as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The approach indicates dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”