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

Originally found over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on promoting products in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were given the thumbs up. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or extend lashes were disproven.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to ramp up funding for content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was crucial.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, advertising income for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up 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 away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to see what works.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

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

The executive noted: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”