During the 2020 Senate race, both Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock utilized social media in exciting ways in order to rally young voters. Ossoff and Warnock were both Democratic candidates for the Senate, so they largely worked together to appeal to Georgia voters. They were seen interacting with each other on social media several times, and many of their interactions focused on appealing to young voters.
"Ossoff and Warnock have posted memes and humorously-worded pictures on their channels to appeal to young followers while getting their points across (Legoas, 2020). One interaction was on the platform "X" (formerly known as Twitter), and Jon Ossoff tweeted at Warnock, saying, "we gaming tonight?" This largely appeals to young voters as the youth tend to be very interested in video games. Raphael Warnock responded to the post with a meme about the popular card game Uno, which also poked fun at their opponents, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. The use of a meme on social media was clearly an attempt to reach younger voters, and considering the post received 5.1k likes, I would say it was a success.
While they worked together in many ways, Ossoff and Warnock also took their own separate approaches to reaching young voters through social media. Warnock hosted a few game nights on the streaming platform Twitch, where he was able to talk to players and viewers alike about current issues. Warnock's presence was also very heavy on the platform YouTube, where he placed many advertisements about his campaign in an attempt to reach Georgia voters. This is an example of nanocasting, as West (2018) described, as geolocation information was used to reach specific demographics. Ossoff was very active on the platform TikTok, where he posted a variety of videos. His videos featured music and comedy aimed to attract young voters while also posting his thoughts on political issues to raise awareness.
Sources:
Legoas, M. (2020). Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock use social media to rally young voters. The Augusta Chronicle. https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/31/jon-ossoff-raphael-warnock-use-social-media-rally-young-voters/4074704001/
West, D. M. (2018). Air Wars. SAGE Publications, 7.
Young Voters are arguably the easiest voters to persuade when it comes to who and what they should vote for. With that being said I think you did a great job showcasing that and bringing that example to life. During that race young voters were the difference and that showcases alot for the next generatiom amd what young voters mean to campains and importance.
ReplyDeleteWow whoever was on Ossoff and Warnock's marketing team definitely knew what they were doing! This is a unique way to appeal to young voters and relate them in a way that interests them, this is important when trying to secure a vote. Although it is unlikely that the users on Twitch were interested in important political issues, Warnock's desire to relate to them shows dedication and clearly got the job done.
ReplyDeleteI actually love this type of tactic to reach voters, especially young voters. It is quite refreshing to see politicians interacting with each other in humorous and positive ways. I feel like there are too many examples where politicians will be quick to pin others against themselves or speak poorly about other government officials. It is important to sometimes keep things light-hearted and fun so that we can all work together! Great post!
ReplyDeleteI rememeber seeing Warnock on YouTube a lot during this time, as well as Ossoff's presence on TikTok. I think using platforms like X is a great way to reach young voters, especially when it is for humorous reasons. But I can't help but wonder how effective this approach actually is for candidates in terms of getting these young people out to vote. Does being funny on X or TikTok guarantee votes?
ReplyDeleteI think that politicians using social media can be very beneficial. I think it's a great way to get your message to all age groups of people all over the country. I think it especially benefits the youth and helps the younger generation become more educated on politics. However, I can see the concerns that some people may have with it. Especially with how much false information is constantly spread amongst media platforms. It can paint a certain image among politicians in a negative way.
ReplyDeleteHi Macy, I really enjoyed reading your post! With social media being utilized by the masses within America and across the globe, social media will increasingly be a viable tool for political candidates. Social media not only allows politicians to connect with their supporters, but it also allows a new avenue of advertisement, and Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both used social media in a very successful way. I remember seeing a Warnock ad every time I was on social media for the last three months of the election cycle, so I can vouch for their very well conducted social media usage.
ReplyDeleteHey Macy! Thank you for reminding me of this! I remember watching Ossoff on TikTok during the election. His videos were very entertaining, but also very educational. I wasn't aware that Warnock used Twitch to reach out to young voters, but I think that was a brilliant idea! It's very refreshing to see younger politicians using social media to engage with our generation.
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