Content creator platform for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Democratic National Convention Staff
More than 200 digital content creators will be attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week with a dedicated “creator status,” granting these influencers special access to the convention.
“Bringing creators to the convention expands our reach and engages everyone in practicing democracy,” Kayana McKinance, director of digital strategy for the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement to CNBC. We will definitely be able to witness it.”
Creators are individuals who earn money by posting content on the Internet that advertisers pay to sponsor. They do not pretend to be politically nonpartisan and do not follow traditional journalistic codes of ethics.
The decision to formally elevate a group of dedicated creators is the first of its kind at a Democratic nominating convention.
It’s also a window into the priorities that are driving Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign’s innovative media strategy in its first month.
According to the Pew Research Center, about one-third of adults under 30 say they regularly get their news from TikTok. These younger voters are a key demographic for Democratic candidates, helping the party offset Republicans’ typical advantage in voters 65 and older. In 2020, President Joe Biden won voters under 30 by a whopping 24 percentage points.
The Convention Committee provides these creators with exclusive access to the week’s events and guests. It will also have a full-time staff member who will work closely with creators and facilitate engagement with the Harris campaign and the DNC’s digital partnership team.
The DNC built a raised platform on the convention floor to allow creators a dedicated space to participate in the event. Similar to traditional TV network platforms, this is specifically for creators to create content, take selfies, and interview participants.
Elizabeth Booker Houston said: “We simply have another opportunity to respect the professionalism and skill of journalists, while content creators have something to bring to the table. “We also recognize that we have our own special skill sets.” , content creators participating in the competition.
Houston is a lawyer and comedian with over 500,000 followers across various platforms. She creates videos that analyze the latest news in law and politics, presenting complex topics in an easy-to-understand way that viewers can relate to.
Creators will not be paid for participating in the competition or creating content during the competition. Like journalists, content creators will also be responsible for their own travel and housing costs.
To offset these costs, some creators obtain sponsorship from advertisers. Houston said he will produce sponsored content for the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, a political action committee funded by members of the caucus.
DNCC is also working with creators who cannot attend in person to allow remote access to participate in the convention.
In addition to the Plum Spot on Creator Platform, eligible creators will also have a dedicated lounge at the United Center where they can work on content, record podcast interviews, and connect with other creators.
The Republican National Convention also invited content creators to this year’s event, with more than 70 influencers attending the mid-July convention in Milwaukee.
“Social media is capturing the attention of end consumers on a scale that our society continues to underestimate,” Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX, said Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk. Box” in an interview.
He pointed to the role social media played in two of the most movement-driven presidential elections in the past 40 years, leading to victories for former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
“There was an eight-year difference between President Obama’s victory and President Trump’s victory, and that happened because of social media,” Vaynerchuk said. “The Obama campaign’s 2008 Facebook execution was historic and a preview of President Trump’s 2016 Twitter execution.”
“Those who know how to create, communicate and run elections will win,” he said.
Conventions aren’t the only place the president’s campaign is reaching out to content creators this election cycle.
Trump has collaborated with multiple content creators, including Logan Paul, Nerk Boyz and Adin Roth, and was interviewed by Elon Musk on X.
Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has embraced virality of its own on social media, with content such as an unscripted video of Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ordering Mexican food, which has been viewed hundreds of millions of times. Collects the number of views.
The Biden White House is also using influencers to help share results on social media. Last week, Biden hosted 100 digital content creators at the White House for the first-ever Creator Economy Conference.
“You have new possibilities,” Biden told the creators. “You are a breakthrough in the way we communicate.”
