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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

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.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has indicated the goal is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without dampening the fun” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The approach indicates dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by declines in traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures 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 broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”