Content creation platform at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Democratic National Convention staff
More than 200 digital content creators will attend the conference Democratic National Convention in chicago This week with custom “Creator credentials” That would give these influencers special access to the party conference.
“Bring in the creatives To our agreement our will be doubled It arrives And ensuring everyone can see democracy in action,” Kayana McKee Nance, director of digital strategy for the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement to CNBC.
Content creators are individuals who earn money by posting content online that advertisers pay to sponsor. They do not pretend to be politically nonpartisan, nor do they adhere to the traditional code of journalistic ethics.
The decision to officially promote a dedicated group of creators is the first of its kind at the Democratic nominating convention.
It’s also a window into the priorities driving the innovative media strategy implemented by Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in its first month.
About a third of adults under 30 say they regularly get their news on TikTok, according to TikTok Pew Research Center. These young people make up an important demographic for Democratic candidates, helping the party offset the GOP’s typical dominance among voters over 65. In 2020, President Joe Biden announced Carry voters under 30 By a whopping 24 percentage points.
The conference committee provides these creatives with exclusive access to the week’s events and guests. It will also have a full-time staff working closely with creatives to help facilitate their engagement with the Harris campaign and the DNC’s digital partnerships team.
The DNC also built a raised platform in the convention hall so creators would have a dedicated space to participate in the event. Similar to traditional TV network platforms, this platform is for creators to produce content, take portraits, and conduct interviews.
“We’ve just had a separate opportunity, which respects the professionalism and skills of journalists, while also recognizing that content creators have something to bring to the table, and have their own unique skill set,” Elizabeth Booker-Houston said. , the content creator attending the conference.
Houston is a lawyer and comedian who has more than half a million followers across various platforms. She creates videos showcasing the latest news in law and politics, presenting complex topics in an easy-to-understand way for her audience.
Content creators will not be paid to attend the conference or produce content while they are there. As with journalists, content creators will also be responsible for their own transportation and lodging expenses.
To offset these costs, some creators receive sponsorships from advertisers. Houston said she will produce content sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, a political action committee funded by members of Congress who belong to the caucus.
DNCC is also working with creators who cannot attend in person, to give them remote access to participate in the convention.
Along with a premium spot on the Creator Platform, certified creators also have an exclusive lounge in the United Center where they can work on their own content, record podcast interviews, and connect with other creators.
The Republican National Convention also hosted content creators at its event this year, with more than 70 influencers attending the mid-July convention in Milwaukee.
“Social media captures the attention of the end consumer on a scale that our society, even now, continues to underestimate,” VaynerX CEO Gary Vaynerchuk said during an interview Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
He pointed to the role social media played in two of the most action-driven presidential elections of the past 40 years, which resulted in victories for former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
“Obama’s win and Trump’s win, eight years apart, happened because of social media,” Vaynerchuk said. “The Obama campaign’s 2008 execution on Facebook is historic, and a preview of 2016 with Trump on Twitter.”
“Those who know how to create, communicate and implement them win” the election, he said.
Party conventions aren’t the only places presidential campaigns are trying to engage with content creators this election cycle.
Trump has collaborated with several creators, including Logan Paul, the Nelk Boys, and Adin Ross, and was interviewed by Elon Musk on X.
Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign has embraced its own Its spread on social mediagarnered hundreds of millions of views for content that included, for example, an unscripted video of Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ordering Mexican food.
The Biden White House has also tapped influencers to help share his accomplishments on social media. Last week, Biden hosted 100 digital content creators at the White House for the first time ever Creative Economy Conference.
“You are the new possibilities,” Biden told the innovators. “You are the breakthrough in how we communicate.”
