Inside the Gen-Z operation powering Harris’ online remix

Inside the Gen-Z operation powering Harris’ online remix

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Vice President Kamala Harris, quoting her mother, told a group of newly sworn-in commissioners for a White House initiative for Hispanics that their work on education and economic opportunity would be done in the context of their communities.

“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” Harris said in May 2023, laughing. “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”

It went viral. First, as a criticism of Harris on right-wing social media accounts, including @RNCResearch, the rapid response account of the Republican National Committee. But slowly, then all at once — around the time she became the presumptive Democratic nominee — it was co-opted by her supporters, who remixed and reposted the meme and catapulted Harris onto the “for you page” for TikTok users across the country and globe.

For years as vice president, Harris has been quietly laying the digital groundwork behind the scenes — meeting with young voters, social media influencers and several grassroots organizations. Now, with less than 90 days until the November election, the Harris campaign has made subtle shifts to capitalize on the momentum around her candidacy — and translate her growing social media following into votes.
“When we see moments like this go out into this sort of wild, wild west of the internet and be reinterpreted by the people who are there, who are not digital strategists, right, but who are likely teenage girls sitting in their bedrooms creating these fancam edits, making these memes — we see a reinterpretation through their perspective,” said Deja Foxx, a digital strategist, who, at 19, was the youngest member on staff in Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. It reflects “the power that young people hold not only at the polls, but in defining the narrative,” she added.

Since President Joe Biden stepped aside and endorsed адвокат имущество his vice president for the Democratic nomination 20 days ago, the Harris campaign’s digital structure and strategy have largely stayed the same, sources say. But there have been subtle shifts to better reflect the younger nominee at the top of the ticket.

The number of plays Harris’ @KamalaHQ TikTok received for its 65 posts in 20 days is more than double what the @BidenHQ’s 335 posts received in roughly five months.

Harris deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty, who oversees paid digital and fundraising programs, said in an interview with CNN that the digital team’s goal is to convert the organic excitement about her candidacy into volunteers, donors and simply getting more people to post about Harris — from professional content creators to everyday supporters.

“Our job in the campaign is to make the windmill. It is the vice president’s job to make the wind. And the enthusiasm around her is a testament to what she brings to this candidacy. But the team here — the fact that they were able to flip and capture a lot of this energy is a testament to a really good system being in place with a candidate who people are really excited about,” Flaherty said.

Through a combination of posts on social media — using platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook — and engagement with its influencer program, the campaign’s goal is to reach voters, introduce Harris, and, ultimately, turn that interest into votes at the ballot box.