47. Sliding into DMs on the Dating App Hinge, with NextGen America's Kristi Johnston

Lead Balloon - Public Relations, Marketing and Strategic Communications Stories

Let's be honest: political groups don't have a great success rate when it comes to their strategic communication tactics.

Every election cycle, American voters are bombarded with mailers, emails and text messages that mostly just get trashed or deleted.

And when a Political Action Committee like NextGen America is charged with reaching out to younger voters, they face an even more substantial task in motivating the perennially under-performing youth vote to make their voices heard.

But this year, NextGen America made headlines nationwide when it leveraged a new, unconventional tactic in its get-out-the-vote efforts for a Wisconsin State Supreme Court race.

Using a small team of staff volunteers, the group reached out to young people on the dating app Hinge, urging them to register and pledge their vote on an app that's typically reserved for romance and relationship seekers.

And, with success in that race, the PAC is now looking to scale up its tactic for the nationwide presidential election next year.

So in this episode, we talk to NextGen America's National Press Secretary Kristi Johnston. She not only pioneered the idea, but led from the front by reaching out to voters on Hinge herself, and she'll share what she learned, how her tactic is different from other forms of youth outreach, and why authenticity is key.

Plus, we meet, Noah Turecek, a young man from Wisconsin who matched with Kristi on Hinge, to get his view.

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