‘Social Listening’: The Consumer Goods Giant Looks to Exploit Vaseline’s TikTok Moment.

Originally found over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or making fragrance last longer, 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

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were given the thumbs up. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer 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 led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was paramount.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and sharing usage tips.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic spending more time on digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. Across Britain, advertising income for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to promote their goods.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube 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. It's an ongoing shift.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than total media spending. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”