US
Blue carpet rolled out for online influencers – could they swing the election for Kamala Harris?
Inside Chicago’s cavernous United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being held, there is a cordoned off “creators lounge” and a blue carpet, where influencers can film videos.
They have been given prime seats inside the arena and some have even been invited to speak on stage, an honour usually reserved for luminaries of the Democratic Party.
For the first time, 200 influencers and content creators have been invited to attend the DNC and document the experience for their combined millions of followers.
It indicates that the Kamala Harris campaign team now values the reach they have as much as traditional media.
Heather Gardner has nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok and believes influencers are the future of political communication.
“There are millions of Gen Z voters who are voting for the very first time,” she says.
“And they are not getting their information from the New York Times. They are not getting their information from CNN Cable News or traditional news outlets. It’s on social media.”
Pic: Reuters
Peter McIndoe became famous by pushing a satirical conspiracy theory called “birds aren’t real” and now has thousands of followers on social media.
“People are on TikTok,” he says. “They’re in algorithmic pockets. We’re looking at targeting those algorithmic pockets, getting into groups that are swing voters.”
Harris’s own social media channels, Kamala HQ, are being operated by her social media strategy team, most of whom are in their mid-20s.
The convention is also being streamed in vertical for the first time to cater to an online audience.
Deja Foxx is a 24-year-old model and content creator who worked on Harris’s presidential primary campaign in 2019.
Influencer Deja Foxx at the Democratic National Convention Pic: AP
She spoke on stage, focussing her comments on abortion.
“Reproductive rights is the issue of this election,” she says.
“Particularly in some swing states like Arizona. It isn’t just about winning the electoral battle. When we see a combination of race and gender-based attacks, it’s about winning the narrative battle because little girls are listening to see what is possible.
“So content creators, like the ones you see here, have the opportunity to shape a generation’s political understanding in this election cycle.”
One of the criticisms of the Harris/Walz campaign is that it feels like it’s more sustained by style and soundbites than substance at the moment.
Brandy is an influencer from Atlanta
“I think we’re all on the same level when it comes to policy,” says Brandy, a 24-year-old influencer from Atlanta.
“It’s been like three weeks to a month now [since Harris became the nominee], like give my sis a break. She has time, right?
“But at the same time, I feel like the DNC stage is going to be the perfect opportunity to start laying things out. We saw the economic policy come through.
“I look forward to seeing more and more, particularly what she’s going to do when it comes to healthcare.”
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Many people, before they decide which way to vote, will want to know more about what Harris would do in power.
But the clout these influencers carry online could be key – especially when it comes to pulling young people from behind a screen and into the ballot box.