‘Digital Eavesdropping’: The Consumer Goods Giant Aims to Harness Vaseline’s Social Media Breakthrough.
As a product discovered more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for social media algorithms.
However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in legacy broadcasters.
A Journey from Drilling to Digital
The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Currently, a wave of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.
Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.
Leveraging the Buzz
Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever enhanced the tricks 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 validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were refuted.
The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy
Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.
This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on social media content.
Evolving With Audience Behavior
A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.
“How can companies join discussions credibly? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and sharing usage tips.
“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.
“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”
A Revolutionary Change in Media
The approach indicates profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.
The transition is visible in declines in traditional media advertising. In the UK, advertising income for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.
Influencer Marketing Expansion
It also reflects a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.
A commercial director at a major talent 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. That’s a consistent trend.”
He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.
This strategy is expanding. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.
TV's Lasting Role
Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.
The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”