How political engagement is shifting among young people

Leafletting, canvassing and party-political broadcasts once dominated the political campaign space and made up the backbone of any political campaign in the UK, with successful media hits helping political actors control political discourse.

But Gen Alpha and Z, the next generation of voters, are different. Leaflets, television broadcasts and canvassing is no longer a driving force to activate this voter base, and political strategists have taken note of this shift – especially when you take into account votes for 16 year olds. Parties have begun to understand the importance of adapting the modality of campaigns to win over younger voters.

Where did this start?

Though the shift in campaign strategy has been a relatively slow and steady change, Jeremy Corbyn’s 2017 and 2019 general election campaigns and Boris Johnson’s 2019 election campaign stand out as key examples of where politicians have drifted away from traditional campaign strategies in favour of a more modern election strategy using social media and popular culture.

But the change goes further back than this. New Labour’s adoption of both classic campaign strategies and popular culture was a key turning point in UK election strategy, with superstars invited into Downing Street and Prime Ministers claiming to like popular bands and musicians, despite not really knowing all that much about them.

How has election strategy developed?

The change in strategy is not just about a change in platform, it’s about a change in tone. Politicians were once considered to be uptight, professional and bland, but now they’re trying to become viral across social media by embracing their fun side. They’re partaking in wacky activities, following trends and attempting to become entertainers – not just political figures.

Boris Johnson ziplining, Ed Davey falling off a paddle board and Farage’s TikTok  endeavours are not just accidents, they’re carefully choreographed pieces of PR gold which perform exceptionally well in an era where short form videos dominate ‘for you’ pages and feature on television talk shows.

Farage: From political elitist to populist influencer

Nigel Farage has undoubtedly been a leader in the social media ‘clictivist’ revolution. He’s captured the attention of young social media users, particularly young men, by storm, gaining a large amount of support for his Reform UK movement along the way.

His ability to leverage the algorithm and get ahead of the curve on platforms such as TikTok has allowed his content to reach far and wide.

Not just a trend in the UK

The Australian Labour Party has also played a significant role in this revolution outside of the UK, jumping on all sorts of trends. Notably, the Australian Labour Party’s use of the family guy Stewie and Peter conversation social media trend captivated younger Australians, as well as younger people worldwide, whether political or not – simply because it was different. The party also used other trends, such as narration over Subway Surfer gameplay, showing real flexibility and a strong drive to remain relevant in a world driven by social media, where the target demographic won’t be engaged by traditional social media posts alone.

The risks of social media

Social media campaigns are rapidly developing, but they aren’t all without criticism. Trump’s adaptation of the Jet2Holiday trend, where he posted a video of illegal migrants being deported with the Jet2Holiday audio, was highly controversial and even led to widespread outrage amongst some of the U.S. public.

Nonetheless, the controversy is what made the post so successful. It’s a page directly from the populist playbook. Trump’s team would’ve known that the video was going to be highly controversial and alienate some voters, but they did it anyway because they know that the support it did win would appreciate the post highly – solidifying the existing support base. In an era of populism, political actors like Trump are not scared of sacrificing one group of voters in exchange for winning over another group, because the arithmetic of politics doesn’t require winning everybody’s support – it merely requires you to win the support of the majority.

What is next for social media campaigns?

Social media campaigns are undoubtedly here to stay. They are one of the best ways to engage with younger voters, and with the younger generation becoming more split on politics, all sides need to engage with them effectively. 

But, as acknowledged elsewhere in the blog. It isn’t just about having a social media presence, it is about making the most of a social media presence and hitting the right tone in order to secure engagement and spread a message which supports the campaign.

Walk Through Walls, we’re campaign specialists who can assist with running a social media campaign – leveraging social media to improve reach and messaging. 

If you’re looking at using social media, or even traditional campaign methods to spread any message, contact us and we’ll see how we can support you in reaching your aims and objectives.