‘Digital Eavesdropping’: The Consumer Goods Giant Looks to Exploit Vaseline’s Social Media Breakthrough.

Originally found more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

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 content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. But the Vaseline phenomenon has persuaded leaders to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without spoiling the atmosphere” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? 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 transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Across Britain, advertising income for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up 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 are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps 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 compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”