‘Social Listening’: Unilever Aims to Harness Vaseline’s TikTok Moment.

First identified more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on advertising goods in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

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

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational 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 burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, talked about by other people, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Influencers are vital for this. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

This plan mirrors profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with numerous influencers to boost their products.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. In the US, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”