By Lotte Jones, Chief Commercial Officer at The News Movement
The US election is shaping up to be an interesting one, especially when it comes to voter demographics. Around 40 million Gen Zers will be eligible to vote, many for the first time, bringing in a different set of views and expectations.
Many of these will be formed, and aired, on social media. A lot has changed since the last election; back then, TikTok was only in its infancy. Now it’s the dominant platform among younger people. With 60% of Gen Z getting their news from social media, these channels will play a key role in enabling politicians and, more importantly, brands, to connect with this young audience.
While Gen Z can be skeptical over politics, they rely on brands – 70% say they trust brands over politicians. That’s why the election offers a great opportunity for brands to reach out to them. Because Gen Z expect engagement. They look to brands to take a stand on issues that are important to them.
The election can be a great opportunity to build a connection with this influential generation, but the volatile social media landscape means that brands need to tread carefully if they want to win these audiences over.
State of the misinformation
This year’s elections are gearing up to be the most challenging yet for political misinformation. Early on, we saw fake audio clips of Joe Biden encouraging voters not to come out for the primaries. More recently, rumors about Trump’s Vice President candidate reportedly admitting to a sexual encounter with a couch took the internet by storm despite being proven fake. No doubt there’s more in store.
The spread of this type of fake news is fueled by the proliferation of ‘pink slime’ websites. These sites imitate legitimate local news sites but are, in fact, vehicles for political messaging, often going unregulated for accuracy of claims. According to a recent study, these sites now outnumber the 1,213 daily newspapers left in the US, making it harder to identify what is a reliable source of information, especially when the content is amplified on social media. At the same time, generative AI adds to the challenge, making it even easier to produce misinformation at scale, and pushing reliable information further into the marginal.
This is where social platforms, news organizations, and indeed, brands, can step up and play a key role in helping young voters navigate these complexities.
Taking part in the political cycle
But this opportunity comes with a challenge. As the world becomes increasingly polarized, global brands are being supported or dropped based on the political stances they take. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 54% of people in the US would buy or avoid brands based on their perceived political positions.
When every move can be seen as political, how can brands drive positive conversations and still keep in line with their values and purpose?
Firstly, if you’re going to take a stand, it should be on issues that align with your own brand purpose. With younger generations increasingly skeptical of brands’ involvement in societal issues, authenticity is everything. Gen Z bullshit detectors are turned up high, and superficial gestures or tokenistic participation will not cut it.
The backlash following Bud Light’s widely criticized campaign with the trans creator Dylan Mulvaney is a poignant example of the potential consequences of jumping on a trend without fully committing to the principles behind it.
These risks can be countered with consistent messaging, not hijacking societal or political issues for momentary gain but building them into the long-term strategy.
Secondly, brands need to acknowledge and address the challenges posed by pink slime sites and help bridge the gap separating young voters from trustworthy information. These sites pose a risk to the young audiences who visit them in search of information as well as the brands having a presence next to low-quality content.
Brands can mitigate this by taking the lead and supporting reliable media. Carefully considering the media and creators they partner and spend their advertising dollars with helps signpost reliable sources of information, drive healthy conversations and steer the young audiences towards content they can trust.
Championing the good
While the growth of misinformation is a challenge, brands can also turn it into an opportunity to highlight their relevance to Gen Z. It’s a chance to prove they can be trustworthy allies in their hour of need, helping guide them towards useful, factual information so that they can make up their own mind.
But this means meeting these audiences where they are, and having a consistent presence on the platforms they frequent. To build strong relationships, brands need to connect with Gen Z through content that meets their preferences for format, length, and style.
Informing, not preaching, with content that is neutral and genuinely helpful.
Turning the tide
Identifying reliable information can be a challenge for every voter, but particularly young people trying to navigate the volume of conversations surrounding the ballot.
It’s also a tough time for brands considering the pros and cons of getting involved in the pre-election conversation. Taking a stand can be rewarding, but it has to come from a place of authenticity to resonate with Gen Z audiences, and not every brand is ready for that. But there are other ways to get involved.
By leveraging their position and visibility, brands can be prominent in helping drive healthy conversations, share useful information, and promote trustworthy news sources. They can help arm young voters with the insight they need to make the most of this cultural moment, proving their relevance to this audience, and forging connections that last through the election and beyond.
