A content creation platform for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Democratic National Convention Staff
More than 200 digital content creators are scheduled to attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week with exclusive “creator credentials” that will give these influencers special access to the party’s convention.
“Inviting creators to our convention doubles our impact and ensures everyone can witness democracy in action,” Kayana McKee Nance, director of digital strategy for the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement to CNBC.
Creators are individuals who earn income by posting content on the Internet in exchange for sponsorship fees from advertisers. They do not pretend to be politically independent and do not adhere to traditional journalistic codes of ethics.
The decision to formally elevate a group of dedicated creators is a first for a Democratic nominating convention.
It also offers a window into the priorities driving the innovative media strategy that Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has implemented in its first month.
Nearly a third of adults under 30 say they regularly get their news from TikTok, according to the Pew Research Center. These younger demographics are important for Democratic candidates, helping offset Republican advantages among voters over 65. In 2020, President Joe Biden won voters under 30 by a staggering 24 percentage points.
The Convention Committee will provide these creators with exclusive access to events and guests during the week, and will also have dedicated staff working closely with them to facilitate engagement with the Harris campaign and the DNC’s digital partnerships team.
The DNC also built a raised platform at the convention site to give creators a dedicated space to participate in the event. Similar to a traditional TV network platform, this is a dedicated platform for creators to make content, take selfies, and interview attendees.
“We just have a unique opportunity to respect the professionalism and skill of journalists, but also recognize that content creators have something to contribute and that they have their own special skills,” said Elizabeth Booker Houston, a content creator who is participating in the convention.
Houston is a lawyer and comedian with over 500,000 followers across various platforms. She creates videos that analyze breaking news in law and politics, conveying complex topics in a way that is approachable and easy for her audience to understand.
Creators will not be compensated for attending the convention or producing content during their stay. Like journalists, content creators will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.
To offset these costs, some creators are taking on sponsorships from advertisers, and Houston said she will be producing sponsored content for the Congressional Black Caucus PAC.
DNCC is working with creators who can’t attend in person to allow remote access to participate in the convention.
In addition to a prominent position on the Creator Platform, verified creators will also have access to an exclusive lounge at the United Center where they can create content, record podcast interviews and connect with other creators.
The Republican National Convention also invited content creators to its events this year, with more than 70 influencers attending its convention in Milwaukee in mid-July.
“Social media is capturing the attention of the end consumer on a scale that our society continues to underestimate,” VaynerX Chairman Gary Vaynerchuk said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday.
He pointed to the role social media played in two of the most campaign-heavy presidential elections in the past four decades, which resulted in victories for former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
“Obama’s victory and Trump’s victory were eight years apart, but they happened because of social media,” Vaynerchuk said. “The Obama campaign’s Facebook execution in 2008 was historic, and Trump’s Twitter preview of 2016.”
“Those who know how to create it, communicate it and execute it will win the election,” he said.
The convention isn’t the only place presidential campaigns are looking to reach out to content creators this election season.
Trump has collaborated with several content creators, including Logan Paul, Nelk Boyz and Adyn Ross, and was interviewed by Elon Musk on The X Show.
Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has leveraged its viral power on social media, with content such as an unscripted video of Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ordering Mexican food, garnering hundreds of millions of views.
The Biden administration is also using influencers to share its work on social media: Last week, Biden hosted 100 digital content creators at the White House for its first-ever Creator Economy Conference.
“You are a new possibility,” Biden told the creators. “You are a breakthrough in how we communicate.”
