By Shira Jeczmien, Founder & CEO of SCREENSHOT Media
Kamala = brat. One Tweet. One hundred million dollars worth of earned media value. One moment that could change the face of US politics.
Now maybe that last point remains to be seen. But there can be no doubt that the power of reactive marketing came into full force when Charli XCX turned Kamala Harris’s Presidential bid brat green.
What is brat? Well for those living under a rock here’s your quick explainer. The title of Charli XCX’s latest album, brat has signalled the rise of a bright green hedonistic summer, the spirit of which, as she’s described herself, carries a “pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra.”
Brat has become a mindset, an aesthetic rather than being attached to one particular generation. And this is why it speaks powerfully to the masses, particularly to the next gen audiences the US election has arguably, until now, found it almost impossible to reach.
Not anymore. With one pivot of her campaign, Kamala Harris’s marketing team has aligned their candidate with a cultural zeitgeist that, to put it simply, just works. It is the perfect example of reactive marketing done right. Her team saw a moment via that original Tweet and they’re still riding today.
Real talk
From the start Kamala Harris’s social media strategy has involved integrating real-time conversations and trending topics into her content. This is why brat works. Through her association with the trend, Harris is rendered ‘one of us’, opening the door to an entire group of next gen Democratic voters previously deterred by a candidate who didn’t exactly speak their language.
By associating with popular cultural moments and trends, Harris’s more serious campaign messages then becomes more relatable and engaging. Brat doesn’t just elevate Harris’s street cred; it elevates the work she is aiming to do with her potential presidency, the work her next gen voters care about and will vote for.
As Grace Duncan, Strategy Director at SCREENSHOT Media’s agency explains, “This tactic helps build her authority and connection with younger demographics, showcasing her campaign as current and in touch with the social zeitgeist.”
Build a social strategy you can react with
The real power behind this moment comes from the rapid reaction of Harris’s team. Instead of shying away from what could’ve been seen to be a little too ‘cool’, they’ve understood that to reach voters, you need to speak to where they are right now. To become an integral part of the conversations happening around the world.
They also knew that this moment was authentic to Harris’s overall strategy. While they pivoted to turn brat green, they were already employing an authentic and impressive social strategy.
Take the clever and creative way they’ve used memes to convey Harris’s messages in a humorous and accessible way. As Duncan notes, “Memes, with their widespread popularity and shareability, serve as an effective tool to reach a broader audience, particularly younger voters. By using memes, Harris can inject humour into serious political discourse, making her content more engaging and likely to be shared across various platforms.” This kind of strategy helps to humanise Harris, making her and her campaign more approachable for next gen voters.
Harris has also frequently been featured in content created by Gen Z-loved influencers Harry Daniels with his signature format of capturing ‘celebrities’ behind the scenes and locking them into a musical serenade (and some awkwardness, too). But next gen audiences love this. And they want to see Kamala pop up in their FYP in this exact way. It’s an organic presence and helps her to connect with voters through creators they already follow and trust.
A bright green antidote
By adopting the brat crowning she was offered, Kamala Harris has tapped into something real, something that’s happening now. Something that is even sparking cross generational discussion. Videos have been popping up all over the internet that show those with brat summer energy explaining to their often slightly older relatives what that really means.
Although seemingly a small point, becoming an intergenerational conversation starter is no mean feat, and it’s one that could speak volumes as we inch closer to the US elections.
Because when you speak to the audience you’re trying to reach on the platforms they’re already on, in the language they’re already using, that’s how you build real and long lasting trust with your audience. And Kamala Harris is going to need her audience this November.
