'Blue Carpet' Buzz

Coconut-pilled social media influencers are getting the VIP treatment at this year’s Democratic National Convention.

While social media has been factored into conventions for more than a decade, Democratic organizers are notably upping the ante this year, leaning hard into the meme magic that helped catapult Kamala Harris' nascent campaign into instant internet stardom.

At this year's gathering of Democratic power brokers, more than 200 creators have been issued credentials, allowing them access to areas in the United Center that would typically be reserved for members of the legacy press. The figure represents “the largest number of content creators to ever be credentialed for a convention on either side of the aisle,” a DNC official underscored to me.

From the convention site, the stable of TikTok stars, YouTubers, and other influencers will be able to interview prominent officials and create a mix of content that the DNC hopes will organically find its way to millions of voters who might not make time to watch the hours worth of programming broadcast on traditional television.

The DNC in recent days unveiled a “creator platform,” a location mirroring the risers in which televisions anchors and correspondents broadcast from. The DNC further boasted about providing access to "the blue carpet," a location it said will "serve as a hotbed of activity where distinguished surrogates, elected officials, delegates, and other Democratic voices."

"During peak hours of convention week, a rotation of content creators will be positioned on the Blue Carpet, gathering content to share with their audiences," the DNC explained.

But the DNC is not stopping there.

Each night, one of the highly coveted prime time speaking slots will be designated for a social media influencer who will get the rare opportunity to address the country from the main stage. The DNC will also air all four nights of programming across TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

The emphasis on social media is, of course, in keeping with efforts from Democrats to tap into and mobilize younger audiences, who tend to vote for more progressive candidates. Such voters spend more of their time scrolling endlessly on social media, not tuning into traditional television news programs, a medium that in 2024 largely caters to an aging audience.

But it would be wrong to dismiss this as an approach only targeting younger voters. In fact, the approach is a reflection of the changing ways in which most Americans consume information. While millions of people will tune in each night to the traditional television broadcasts, plenty will instead engage with the DNC by simply seeing stray clips and other snippets of information that are algorithmically served up for them on their favorite apps.

The DNC is not blind to that trend and has crafted a strategy aimed at exploiting it for maximum reach.

“Bringing creators to our convention will multiply our reach and ensure that everyone can witness democracy in action,” said Cayana Mackey-Nance, director of digital strategy for the DNC. “We’re confident that when the world turns to Chicago in August on their phones, tablets, or TVs, they’ll see exactly who Democrats are and the future that we’re fighting for.”