Democrats grant special convention access to more than 200 content creators

More than 200 digital content creators will attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week with dedicated “creator credentials” that will grant these influencers special access to the party’s convention.

“Bringing creators to our convention will multiply our reach and ensure that everyone can witness democracy in action,” Cayana Mackey-Nance, director of digital strategy for the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement to CNBC.

Creators are individuals who make money by posting content on the internet that advertisers pay to sponsor. They make no pretense of being politically nonpartisan, and they do not adhere to the traditional code of journalistic ethics.

The decision to formally elevate a dedicated group of creators is a first for a Democratic nominating convention.

It is also a window into the priorities driving the innovative media strategy that Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has executed in its first month.

About one-third of adults under age 30 say they regularly get their news on TikTok, according to Pew Research Center. These younger adults are a crucial demographic for Democratic candidates, helping the party to offset the GOP’s typical dominance among voters over 65. In 2020, President Joe Biden carried voters under 30 by a whopping 24 percentage points.

The convention committee is providing these creators with exclusive access to the week’s events and guests. It will also have full-time staff working closely with the creators to help facilitate their engagement with the Harris campaign and the DNC’s digital partnerships team.

The DNC has even built a raised platform on the convention floor so that creators will have a dedicated space to engage with the event. Similar to traditional television network platforms, this one is specifically for creators to produce content, take selfies and interview attendees.

“We are just being given a separate opportunity, that respects the professionalism and the skills of journalists, while also acknowledging that content creators do have something to bring to the table, and have their own unique, special skill set,” said Elizabeth Booker Houston, a content creator who is attending the convention.

Houston is a lawyer and comedian with more than half a million followers across various platforms. She creates videos that break down the latest news in law and politics, delivering complex topics in a relatable and easy-to-understand way for her audience.

Creators will not be paid to attend the convention or to produce content while they are there. Like journalists, the content creators will also be responsible for their own transportation and housing expenses.

To offset these costs, some creators are securing sponsorships from advertisers. Houston said she will be producing sponsored content for the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, a political action committee funded by members of Congress who belong to the caucus.

The DNCC is also working with creators who can’t attend in person, to grant them remote access to engage with the convention.

Along with a plum spot on the creator platform, credentialed creators also have an exclusive lounge at the United Center where they can work on their content, record podcast interviews and connect with other creators.

The Republican National Convention also hosted content creators at its event this year, with more than 70 influencers attending the mid-July convention in Milwaukee.

“Social media has the attention of the end consumer at a scale that our society continues, even now, to underestimate,” VaynerX Chairman Gary Vaynerchuk said during a recent interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

He pointed to the role that social media played in two of the most movement-driven presidential elections of the last 40 years, which resulted in victories for former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

“The Obama win and the Trump win, eight years apart, happened because of social media,” said Vaynerchuk. “The 2008 Facebook execution that the Obama campaign did is historic, and a preview to 2016 with Trump on Twitter.”

“Those who know how to create, communicate and execute on it, win” elections, he said.

The party conventions are not the only places where presidential campaigns are trying to interact with content creators this election cycle.

Trump has collaborated with several content creators, including Logan Paul, the Nelk Boys and Adin Ross, and he was interviewed by Elon Musk on X.

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has embraced its own virality on social media, garnering hundreds of millions of views for content that includes, for example, an unscripted video of Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ordering Mexican food.

Biden’s White House has also tapped influencers to help share its accomplishments on social media. Last week, Biden hosted 100 digital content creators at the White House for the first-ever Creator Economy Conference.

“You are the new possibilities,” Biden told the creators. “You are the breakthrough in how we communicate.”