Democrats spent $460 million more on traditional advertising promoting Vice President Kamala Harris than Republicans spent bolstering former President Donald J. Trump. The fact that they still lost indicates a change in what type of content nudges people in one direction or another.
Rather than relying on standard paid media, the strategy behind Trump’s campaign was a decisive shift toward alternative media—platforms like podcasts, Twitch, and influencer networks—that let him tap into an electorate disillusioned by traditional media outlets.
It’s telling that a recent survey suggests most U.S. adults think there are too many political ads on TV during presidential campaigns.
As Paul Dyer, chief executive of creative agency Prompt, put it, the Democrat’s strategy was to lead with paid media, while the Republicans started with earned media.
Trump’s October appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast—three hours of unscripted conversation that racked up 26 million views in 24 hours, per Newsweek—was a key moment. During the episode, he also made 32 false claims, per CNN. Trump also embraced the creator economy, teaming up with figures like Jake Paul, whose Instagram video with Trump in a playful moment amassed over 1.5 million likes.
“If you’re getting three hours with someone on a podcast, that’s not the same as reaching them with a 20-second ad,” said Jeremy Goldman, sr. director of the marketing, retail, and tech briefings, Emarketer. “You craft a winning strategy for somebody who has a whole lot less to spend, you would certainly lean into these [platforms].”
Trump’s campaign also tapped into Twitch, a platform rooted in gaming, to reach younger, digitally savvy voters. By streaming rallies and speeches, he bypassed conventional political coverage and found an audience that might otherwise tune out. Even as some criticized the platform’s use for political messaging, his campaign showed a keen adaptability to the digital age.
Trump’s unfiltered approach on these platforms struck a chord that traditional media couldn’t. Contender Harris also tapped into these newer avenues, but Trump’s strategy, sources told ADWEEK, played a role in his bid for the presidency.
Reinforcing brand identity
Trump’s shift to newer media platforms over traditional outlets fits seamlessly with his longstanding, combative relationship with the press, one that’s been fraught since the 2016 election.
“He made no secret of the fact that the media was his enemy,” said Becca Lewis, former research analyst and postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.
This strategy also aligned with Trump’s anti-establishment brand, resonating with voters disillusioned by traditional institutions.
“If you think about the leading Twitch live streamers or podcast voices, this is essentially a way to show you’re against mainstream media,” said Goldman.
Unlike the polished appearances typical of traditional media, these platforms provided viral, shareable moments that sparked engagement with Trump’s base and spread rapidly.
“Ultimately, playing it safe sometimes winds up being the less safe option,” Goldman said.
Podcasts fill a void
One of Trump’s biggest hits is the Joe Rogan podcast, which, according to Lewis, reflects the shifting media landscape. As traditional outlets become more fragmented, she said, large swaths of the public have turned to platforms like Rogan’s, bypassing established networks like CNN.
“A lot of podcasters tap into that resentment, but then offer up these that either stoke racialized and gendered grievances or offer conspiracy theories,” she said.
This shift is further fueled by the decline of local news outlets, many of which have been swallowed up by conglomerates, leaving behind a void in community-centered reporting—something audiences are now finding in spaces like podcasts.
“There’s much less media coverage that’s actually tackling people’s real, lived, material experiences,” Lewis said, “and it becomes much more of this personality-driven, horse-race, kind of team-player, sports-style coverage.”
A move to target new voters
Trump’s use of newer platforms didn’t just cater to his base—it also effectively targeted younger demographics, including many first-time voters, according to Goldman. According to Edison Research’s Infinite Dial Report, 59% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 34 were listening to podcasts in January 2024, a 4% increase from the previous year.
“In 2016, some of these people weren’t able to vote,” he said, noting that engaging these younger voters on the platforms they frequent gave the impression that Trump was “with it” and in touch with their world.
“You could make a strong case that you’re catering to first-time voters who are more likely to turn out,” Goldman added.
Harris vs. Trump
In the opposing camp, Harris, who could have become the first woman and woman of color to hold the presidency, also tapped into newer media platforms, including appearances on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. She also showed up on Saturday Night Live the weekend before Election Day.
While Harris used these outlets to connect with younger, more diverse voters, Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and unpolished remarks worked to his advantage, which—for better or worse—helped him garner significant earned media, especially on podcasts.
“He didn’t worry about putting his foot in his mouth, which kept his media presence unpredictable and entertaining,” said Goldman.
Harris, on the other hand, struggled to match Trump’s ability to be off the cuff.
“There was never that same sense that she was able to generate—around being authentic and off-the-cuff,” said Lewis. Still, “it’s important to stress that there’s different gendered and racialized expectations around what counts as authentic and who’s able to meet these expectations.”
