‘Online Monitoring’: Unilever Aims to Harness Vaseline’s Social Media Breakthrough.

As a product discovered over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

Originally produced in the 1870s by a 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 “life hacks”.

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 chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a one-to-many model, where we would just broadcast out … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by declines in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

It also reflects a blurring of media roles 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: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

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

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”