🔗 Share this article ‘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 could hardly be considered an obvious target for digital platform algorithms. Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in traditional media. 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 residue from oil extraction. Currently, a wave of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”. Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands. Capitalising on the Conversation Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers. Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were refuted. The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators. This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on digital creator content. Adapting to New Consumer Habits A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of reaching consumers. She said participating on platforms “without killing the party” was crucial. “How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? 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. “The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not. “Having your brand advocated by users, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.” A Seismic Media Shift This plan mirrors dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media. The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for leading TV channels have declined by over six hundred million pounds in actual value since the end of the last decade. The Creator Economy Boom Additionally, it points to a media convergence as corporations essentially turn into content studios, linking up with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods. An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print. “Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.” He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness. The approach is growing. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025. TV's Lasting Role Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to drive countrywide discourse. The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”