The US election cycle has been anything but typical this year, and we’re not even talking about the candidates, the timing, or the policies. Media, including its usage and perceived value, has changed. When it comes to the Presidential campaigns legacy media outlets across TV, print, and online has been deprioritized in favor of podcasts, streaming programs, influencer content, social media, quick-turn videos, and memes. Lots of memes.

When Kamala Harris entered the race, within the first 24-hours she had branding, social channels and a vibe that rolled out seamlessly. Her team started to use trending audio and developed videos at a rapid pace. Her digital rapid response content team, who the Washington Post called “The ‘feral 25-year-olds’ making Kamala Harris go viral on TikTok”, is active and agile making content approval calls most times via Slack and in under 15 minutes by their director, Parker Butler.

“Campaigns are not just responding anymore; our job is to create the news.” 
– Parker Butler, Harris campaign digital rapid response content director

Donald Trump also took a new approach by seeking out podcast and streamers for exposure to a younger male audience. His “‘Bro’ Podcast Tour” as Forbes describes it has included stops with Comedian Andrew Schulz and his co-hosts on their podcast “Flagrant”, Theo Von’s podcast “This Past Weekend with Theo Von”, YouTubers the “Nelk Boys”, who are known for videos about pranks and parties, and many more. His use of social media is a little more traditional, with fewer trending sounds, catchy memes, and vertical videos.

During the Democratic National Convention, more influencers than ever were invited and given press credentials with dedicated space and access. The 200 creators developed content on behalf of the campaign to share across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat to help reach younger and more online prospective voters. These authentic messengers, many of which were not involved in politics until this cycle, created countless pieces of content to share with their audiences through their own particular niche.

Other unique placements have been used to help introduce the candidates to the public. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was a relative unknown to the public, but since joining the Harris ticket he has done a running interview through Central Park with TikToker Kate Mackz and another interview with his rescue dog Scout with Matt Nelson of We Rate Dogs. Candidates and surrogates for both campaigns have made appearances to help broaden reach with particular audiences, including The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne the God, Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, and Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper.

More and more Americans are not only seeing the bulk of their news through their social media feeds, but also seeking it out from voices that they trust on a variety of issues. As legacy media manages its way through format and audience shifts, they’re facing criticism about whether or not their coverage is meeting this moment for Americans in terms of speed, authenticity and having direct conversations driven by issues and not candidates. Will this election lead to a change in how the media covers elections and world events? That’s yet to be seen, however, as media as a whole looks to see what has resonated during the past few months, perhaps they take some cues from these emerging influencers and outlets to reevaluate delivery methods, messengers, and audience needs.