‘Social Listening’: Unilever Seeks to Capitalise On Vaseline’s TikTok Moment.

Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

Originally produced in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “everyday tips”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational enhanced the tricks 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 revive leather bags. Claims that it would brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

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 labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was paramount.

“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 talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just broadcast out … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a merging of functions 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 their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also permits simpler message refinement to test effectiveness.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to drive countrywide discourse.

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 concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”