As more members of Gen Z gain legal eligibility, young voters have an impactful role  in determining the future of their country’s leadership. Nowadays, candidates must attempt to harness the youth’s influence for their own bid of electoral success. This has prompted a notable change in political strategy, as aspiring leaders worldwide pivot to engage and mobilize the members of Gen Z. So what methods are they employing to achieve this?

United States of America

With President Biden’s decisive step-down, Vice President Kamala Harris catapulted her campaign just four months shy of election day, gaining significant momentum, particularly through the utilization of social media. To be more specific, the interweaving of humor and pop culture has greatly benefited Harris’ exposure—even being cultivated on her official campaign profile (@KamalaHQ) where internet trends are frequently employed. 

Amidst the mainstream album rollout of Brat by the British artist Charli xcx, a cultural phenomenon ensued, sparking a meteoric rise in viewership and conversation. With the simultaneous release of the album, Charli xcx reinvigorated the word “brat” into an adjective, as well as a lifestyle that people subscribed to. Thus, when July of this year, the singer posted a three-word endorsement (“Kamala IS brat”) on X, the album’s relevance quickly became intermixed with the strategy of the Harris campaign.

KamalaHQ likened their platform to the album cover’s aesthetics, adopting the slime-green color and distinctive font onto their social media banner. Within a wide range of social media platforms, countless pieces of content employed songs and references from the album and intertwined them with some of Harris’ most viral (and humorous) moments. Even CNN anchors began inquiring about its meaning, holding conversations (and employing a Gen Z correspondent) in an attempt to grasp the Brat and Harris 2024 cohesion. Ultimately, it became a major talking point of the summer. 

Alternatively, the president-elect, Donald Trump, made late bouts in his attempt to market to Gen Z, with his presence on youth-frequented apps such as Snapchat, being fairly recent. Much of his appeal to young voters have been through appearing on popular internet shows, such as The Joe Rogan Experience and Impaulsive which draw in considerable viewership from the conservative youth. Yet—due to the differing demographics between the two candidates, his tactics do contrast with hers. 

Since the 2022 midterm elections, an additional 8.3 million Gen Z members have become eligible to vote in the United States, bringing the total to 40.8 million Gen Z voters (ages 18–27 in 2024) for the presidential election. As of Feedback’s publication date, early estimates approximate youth turnout to be around 42% (The Guardian). Although previous polling indicated abortion being the most pressing issue within young voters’ minds, the results of the presidential election veer toward the economy as the largest priority. 

India

With current Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bid for re-election on June of this year, his campaign significantly shifted to employing more youth-oriented tactics—especially on social media. Partnering up with several meme marketing agencies, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took direct initiative in attempting to create viral and shareable content, a strategy that aimed to garner significant conversation within the digitally active. 

As another example of enacting tactics that specifically target Gen Z, the Modi campaign frequently collaborated with Indian social media influencers, who had audiences within the youth demographic. Hosting a videotaped roundtable, Naman Mathur (who is referred to as “Mortal” online) and Payal Dhare (“Payal Gaming”) were two of the invitees at the Prime Minister’s residence. With millions of followers respectively, the Modi campaign incorporated creators within their strategy for the opportunity to gain sizable outreach. Instead of attempting to galvanize a Gen Z audience alone, Modi’s utilization of influencers directs their audiences to his—something that not only benefits his exposure but his re-election. 

Home to the world’s largest Gen Z population, India saw 90 million youth eligible to vote in this year’s Lok Sabha elections. This included 49 million first-time voters. However, by April, only about 38% of these new voters had registered, according to the Election Commission of India. A survey conducted by CSDS-Lokniti in New Delhi revealed that first-time voters were most concerned about inflation, unemployment, and religious tensions.

Indonesia 

With the end of President Joko Widodo’s second and final term, a vacant spot emerged, leading three political candidates to begin their campaigns in a widely contested election. 

The victor of the election, now President Prabowo Subianto, utilized social media heavily, specifically, TikTok. Running an image of a lovable and cute grandpa, Subianto’s tagline significantly employed the concept of “gemoy” an Indonesian word in reference to someone who fits the characteristics of a chubby and adorable elder. Campaign images, videos, and billboards were put up and shared, further increasing his outreach. 

In addition, the incorporation of dance (referred to in Indonesia as joget) was also a large aspect of the social media campaign. As an official campaign song “Oke Gas Prabowo Gibran Paling Pas” by Indonesian musician Richard Jersey, videos were shared rapidly, with social media creators and everyday internet users dancing alongside the music. Within rallies held by the Prabowo campaign, this song was also played, creating a lively environment amongst attendees. 

As one of the other candidates, former Jakarta governor, Anies Baswedan, also attempted a social media campaign, specifically, in his usage of the tool: TikTok Live. Connectivity became instantaneous between him and his supporters, allowing Baswedan the ability to react on the spot to their comments. What emerged was a dedicated audience, who began attending these lives and sharing clips. Derived from the personability that TikTok Live created, these sessions facilitated an ability to hear directly from the candidate himself—something highly beneficial when wanting to resonate with a group of young voters. 

Indonesia, one of the most populous countries in the world, has more than 200 million eligible voters, with 45 million individuals of (around 23%) being members of Gen Z (CNN). Of the issues most pertinent to the youth, a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies cited societal welfare and job opportunities at the forefront. Additionally, concerns related to the environment, and more specifically pollution, were also mentioned. 

With the influx of first-time voters bound to appear in the coming few years, it will not be unusual to see more campaign strategies targeting the youth. Whilst traditional door-to-door canvassing may continue to occur, we too may recognize a prominence in screen-to-screen outreach. As pop culture and politics increasingly intersect, candidates may market themselves in ways adjacent to how celebrities and content creators capture their audiences. However, it is crucial to remember that your vote will not only dictate a short-lived period, but contribute to your nation’s trajectory for years to come.