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Abstract

TikTok is the social media app most frequented by Gen Z, yet political candidates have struggled to connect with this audience. However, Kamala Harris’ 2024 U.S. presidential campaign has changed how political candidates interact with potential voters. Through unconventional memes and viral moments, she has connected to Gen Z like no other candidate before her. Based on Persuasion Knowledge Model, an online, between-subjects quasi-experimental survey exposed Gen Z participants (N = 370) to three KamalaHQ TikTok videos employing a combination of TikTok (e.g., trending music, humor) and political campaign strategies (e.g., campaign ad). Results show that video exposure reduced message resistance. In turn, participants were more likely to intend to vote for Harris in the upcoming presidential election. Feelings of a parasocial relationship and perceptions of her authenticity were significant influencers in reducing message resistance and increasing likelihood to vote for her. These results have broader implications for how political candidates interact with and persuade potential young voters, particularly on TikTok.

Journal Title

Iowa Journal of Communication

Volume

58

Issue

1

First Page

16

Last Page

36

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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