White House to expand its influencer engagement efforts with its first-ever Creator Economy Conference

The Biden administration is leaning into its already well-established efforts to connect with the country’s content creators.

On Friday, Christian Tom, the Director of the White House Office of Digital Strategy, announced a new event while on stage at VidCon: the White House’s first-ever conference for social media creators.

The August event, the White House Creator Economy Conference, will invite influencers, creators, and well-known social media personalities to the White House to discuss hot-button issues with senior White House officials. These may include issues such as AI, data privacy, and how social media impacts mental health.

After the first 2024 presidential debate, in which arguably everyone lost, Biden still hopes to appeal to young voters, social media influencers, and content creators. You might even say he’s working overtime in that department. Or, at least, the White House Office of Digital Strategy, which is also seeking a Meme Manager, is.

“The inaugural White House Creator Economy Conference will emphasize the Administration’s commitment to creators and reinforce the economic and cultural value they represent,” Tom told TechCrunch. “The Office of Digital Strategy has made work with digital creators one of our top priorities, and we are excited to engage with creators on how these topics impact their lives and how they can help inform policy decisions.”

It’s a fresh move for a very, very tired administration. But it’s far from the first time we’ve seen the Biden administration reach out to content creators. Last month, at a Democratic National Convention media walkthrough of the United Center, influencers were given skybox seats next to ABC and NBC journalists. And Biden’s team has reached out to hundreds of influencers throughout his presidency, hoping they will positively cover issues impacting Americans and political events. They previously worked with influencers to persuade Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as well.

Love it or hate it, Americans get their news from social media. About 32% of people between 18 and 29 got their news from TikTok last year, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Connecting with influencers makes sense, as does creating a welcoming environment for the up-and-coming creators and influencers of America who are driving so many markets. They aren’t going anywhere. They’re impactful. And they create shareable content.

The event is scheduled three months before election day. The timing is not a coincidence — it feels necessary, even desperate outreach. However, while Biden has been seeking a TikTok ban, his campaign has depended heavily on social media to promote itself.

“A fragmented media environment requires us to show up and meet voters where they are — and that includes online,” a spokesperson told NBC in April. “TikTok is one of many places we’re making sure our content is being seen by voters.”