Executive Summary: Unilever is moving half its advertising budget to social content partnerships after Vaseline hit €1 billion, working with user-generated content on TikTok. The strategy: validate what consumers already do, then amplify it through creators. UK TV advertising spending has declined, whilst creator economy spending doubled to $37 billion.
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Vaseline found 3.5 million organic hacks online and delivered 11% annual growth by testing and validating them
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User-generated content gets 4x higher click-through rates and 50% lower cost-per-click than brand content
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56% of Gen Z trusts social media over traditional media for relevant content
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Winning approach: participate in existing conversations rather than controlling the message
Unilever CEO Fernando Fernández announced plans to shift half the company’s advertising budget to social media content partnerships. Half. Not a pilot programme.
The driver: watching Vaseline become a €1 billion Power Brand through TikTok beauty hacks the company didn’t create or control.
Most coverage misses the point. This isn’t about chasing trends. This is about recognising where your brand already exists in consumer culture and whether you’re present for the conversation.
What Drove Vaseline’s Growth
Vaseline discovered more than 3.5 million organic hacks online featuring their product. Consumers were creating content, testing theories, and building communities around a 150-year-old petroleum jelly brand. Without prompting.
The company launched Vaseline Verified. Brand scientists tested viral hacks in the lab. Real testing, real results. The approach delivered 136 million social views since March 2025 and won nine awards at Cannes, including a Titanium Lion.
What matters beyond the awards: Vaseline delivered 11% compounded annual growth over four years. Volume growth exceeded 10% in both 2024 and the first half of 2025.
The pattern: Growth came from validating existing consumer behaviour, not creating new campaigns.
Why Traditional Advertising Is Losing Ground
UK TV advertising spending has declined significantly since 2019 whilst creator economy advertising spending more than doubled since 2021, hitting $37 billion in 2025, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
The gap isn’t closing.
What’s driving this:
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Consumers are 2.4 times more likely to trust user-generated content as authentic compared to brand-created content
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UGC-based ads get 4x higher click-through rates and 50% lower cost-per-click compared to average ads
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Brand engagements rise 28% when consumers see a mix of professional marketing and user-generated content
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83% of marketers report sponsored influencer content outperforms organic content on brand accounts for conversions, according to Sprout Social’s 2025 Q1 Pulse Survey
People trust recommendations from individuals they follow more than traditional advertising. This represents a structural shift in how trust works in digital environments.
What this means: Authenticity drives engagement. Engagement drives commercial results.
How Gen Z Consumes Media Differently
56% of Gen Zers report that social media content is more relevant to them than traditional media. 52% feel a closer connection to social media creators than TV personalities.
These aren’t marginal preferences. These are fundamental shifts in media consumption habits.
Fernández described the shift as “adapting to new ways of reaching consumers.” This isn’t innovation for its own sake. This is recognising where your audience spends their attention and adjusting accordingly.
Vaseline’s approach shows what adaptation looks like in practice. The brand didn’t try to control the narrative around beauty hacks. They participated by validating claims through scientific testing. Petroleum jelly does reduce the sensation of spicy food on the lips and prolongs perfume. It doesn’t whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes.
The approach: bring value to existing conversations rather than redirecting them to your messaging.
What works: Participation beats control when building trust in social environments.
What Established Brands Should Do Now
Vaseline’s success creates a template that Unilever plans to replicate across its entire portfolio. Fernández stated the brand is “pioneering the kind of desire at scale thinking we want to replicate across all our brands.”
The implications extend beyond Unilever. Large corporations are reassessing advertising spend and integrating social media trends into marketing strategy.
Where most companies get this wrong: treating social commerce as a channel rather than a conversation.
A channel-based approach means repurposing traditional advertising for social platforms. A conversation-based approach means identifying where your brand already appears in consumer culture and finding authentic ways to participate.
Vaseline didn’t create 3.5 million hacks. They discovered them, tested them, and shared results. That sequence matters.
What to do:
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Identify where your brand already appears in user-generated content
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Test and validate what consumers are claiming about your product
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Share results through creator partnerships, not brand channels
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Measure engagement and commercial outcomes separately from traditional metrics
The reality: Participation beats control when building trust in social environments.
Why This Shift Is Accelerating
The advertising landscape is becoming more democratised. Consumer-driven content plays a larger role in brand promotion. Creator economy spending is growing 4x faster than the media sector overall.
These trends aren’t reversing. The question isn’t whether to adapt. The question is how quickly you identify where your brand already exists in consumer conversations.
Fernández’s decision to shift half of Unilever’s advertising budget reflects confidence in a strategy delivering measurable results. Vaseline’s growth validates the approach.
The real insight isn’t about TikTok or content partnerships specifically. This is about recognising when fundamental shifts in consumer behaviour require fundamental changes in how you allocate resources.
Companies moving quickly aren’t chasing trends. They’re responding to evidence showing old models no longer deliver the same returns and new approaches produce measurably better outcomes.
Pragmatic business strategy based on what’s working in the market.
What this means: If your brand appears in user-generated content and you’re not participating, you’re leaving growth on the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is social commerce?
Social commerce is buying and selling products directly through social media platforms. It combines content, community, and commerce in a single environment where consumers discover products through creators they trust.
How did Vaseline grow to £1 billion?
Vaseline discovered 3.5 million organic hacks online, validated them through scientific testing, and amplified the results through content partnerships. This delivered 11% annual growth over four years.
Why is user-generated content more effective than brand advertising?
Consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. UGC-based ads get 4x higher click-through rates and cost 50% less per click. People trust recommendations from individuals they follow.
What does content partnership mean?
Content partnerships involve collaborating with social media creators to develop authentic content about your brand. Unlike traditional influencer marketing, partnerships focus on co-creating value within existing conversations rather than paid endorsements.
How much should companies invest in social media advertising?
Unilever is moving 50% of its advertising budget to social media content partnerships. The right allocation depends on where your customers spend their attention and which channels drive measurable commercial outcomes for your business.
Is traditional advertising dead?
Traditional advertising isn’t dead, but its effectiveness is declining. UK TV advertising spending has declined significantly since 2019. Creator economy spending has doubled. The shift reflects changing consumer behaviour, especially among younger audiences.
What is the difference between influencer marketing and content partnerships?
Influencer marketing involves paying creators to promote your products. Content partnerships involve collaborating with creators to participate in existing conversations about your brand, adding value through expertise or validation.
How do you measure success in social commerce?
Track engagement rates, click-through rates, cost-per-click, conversion rates, and volume growth. Vaseline measured success through 136 million social views, 11% annual growth, 10%+ volume increases in 2024 and 2025.
Key Takeaways
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Unilever is shifting 50% of advertising spend to social media content partnerships after Vaseline reached €1 billion by validating user-generated hacks on TikTok
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User-generated content delivers 4x higher click-through rates and 50% lower cost-per-click than traditional brand advertising
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UK traditional TV advertising spending has declined significantly since 2019. Creator economy spending doubled to $37 billion
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56% of Gen Z finds social media content more relevant than traditional media, representing a structural shift in trust and consumption patterns
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Success in social commerce comes from participating in existing consumer conversations, not controlling brand narratives
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The practical approach: identify where your brand appears in user content, validate claims through testing, and amplify through creator partnerships
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Companies responding to evidence of shifting consumer behaviour with resource reallocation outperform those maintaining traditional advertising models
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