Position Paper 3 - Social Media

Hannah Diffee

Professor Reppert

Media and Politics

Nov. 2024


Position Paper 3 - Social Media

Social media is a highly effective tool for sharing information, engaging with audiences, and gaining brand recognition. During the 2024 election cycle, candidates, campaigns, and interest groups used social media to increase their visibility in the public eye. One campaign that successfully used social media was Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. Although Harris did not win the presidential election, her campaign effectively attracted young people (from across the country and the world) and brought attention to her values. The vice president is now riding a wave of popularity that will likely lead to her winning other public offices in the United States.

"Brat Summer"

English pop singer Charli XCX released her sixth album, Brat, on June 7. The dance album, all about London raves and party culture, inspired young women to celebrate themselves and defy societal norms. Brat's lime green cover, emblazoned with simple black text, became a global sensation, with companies and social media users developing content related to the album to market themselves or share information.

With Brat's release, the "Brat Summer" trend took the world by storm. It marked a shift from last year's "Summer of Barbie," which followed the release of the Barbie movie in July 2024. Last summer, social media was flooded with Barbie-themed content, from pink fashion and skincare routines to pink drinks, parties, and more. 
"Barbiecore" Fashion

Barbie Shoes

The Summer of Barbie encouraged girls to embrace their femininity and express themselves (while wearing pink, of course), while Brat Summer centered on being bold, original, and "embracing the real you." Both trends emphasized women's empowerment, utilizing brand partnerships and organic marketing to gain traction.

In a promotional video, Charli XCX shared what "being a brat" means.

"[Someone] who feels herself, but then also, like, maybe has a breakdown, but kinda, like, parties through it."

@charlixcx what it means to be a brat :) #OffTheRecord ♬ Club classics - Charli xcx 

The Harris Campaign's Social Media Strategy
When Vice President Kamala Harris announced her candidacy for president in late July, her team developed a creative media strategy to gain momentum and win public support. A key part of their approach was using social media to engage with young voters. Her team quickly hopped on the Brat Summer trend, giving the @KamalaHQ X (Twitter) account a bright green makeover to reflect Charli XCX's album. This was a strategic move, as Harris joined the presidential race just four months before election day and needed to quickly gain popularity and funding.


@KamalaHQ's bio after its rebrand was "Providing context," referencing a memeified quote from a 2023 speech in which Harris famously asked, "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you." Harris' reference resonated with young voters, displaying her understanding of their interests and her desire to connect with them. After the speech, many GenZers and millennials posted coconut and palm tree emojis on social media to express their support. 

Harris also addressed the viral quote in a classroom speech while discussing the potential of young American voters: "I know the memes. I'm not going to talk about coconuts."

Harris' supporters also embraced the "Brat Summer" trend by designing merchandise and creating fan edits and other content related to the presidential candidate.
Kamala "Demobrat" Shirt

In a July 21 tweet, Charli XCX herself wrote that "Kamala IS brat." The tweet earned 62 million views across the platform and over 300,000 likes.

Biden vs. Harris: Social Media Viewership
President Biden's TikTok account, @BidenHQ, posted 335 times between February 11 and July 19, garnering an average of 500,000 views per post (CNN). In contrast, Vice President Harris' 65 posts between July 21 and August 8 each attained an average of six million views. This suggests that introducing a fresh face, leaning into meme culture, and conveying a sense of authenticity are appealing to viewers and can reach a broad audience.

The Influence of Celebrity Endorsements
Many celebrities showed support for Kamala Harris on social media, including Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Mick Jagger, Harrison Ford, Lady Gaga, and Madonna. These endorsements often included a statement urging viewers to vote for democracy and the future of young Americans. On Halloween, the Avengers assembled and encouraged viewers to #VoteBlue.

A Harvard Ash School study analyzed the influence of celebrities on civic engagement. "Nonprofits report higher rates of online voter registration or poll worker sign-ups when a celebrity promotes these calls to action" (page 3). Before the election, Sabrina Carpenter partnered with the nonprofit organization HeadCount to encourage voter registration. Her partnership included a sweepstakes, giving fans who checked their voter registration status a chance to win tickets to her Short 'n Sweet tour. 35,814 Americans registered to vote through Carpenter's unique link, and another 263,087 voters interacted outside of registration by checking their registration status and viewing polling locations. Carpenter registered more voters than any other HeadCount partner. Celebrities have been promoting civic involvement for decades, demonstrating how they can use their platforms positively to share election information and increase voter interest or turnout.

For celebrity endorsements to be effective in political campaigns, celebrities must be passionate about the issues they advocate for and discuss them authentically. Users are more likely to be influenced by individuals they trust. 


 *Generative AI was used to edit specific content in this post.

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