Digital First, People Focused: How Mamdani Reframed Political Engagement

What topics can still unite Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn? Precious few. Though on Wednesday morning we saw both MPs, as well as many others on the left / centre-left of British politics, come together to celebrate the win of Zohran Mamdami’s New York Mayoral campaign, as MPs lauded his success as one with lessons for progressives the world around.

But why was his campaign so successful, and how did a 34-year-old Muslim, socialist politician win more than 50% of the vote in Trump’s ‘Murica?

Ultimately there are many reasons why Mamdani’s campaign was successful: message discipline, a strong ground game and a clear contrast to his opponents, but one of the most successful elements of his campaign, and one of the most effective routes into the electorate, was how his campaign harnessed social media - not just as a broadcasting tool, but as a movement-building platform.

The use of social media for political campaigns of course is nothing new, though it’s how and where Mamdani and his team used it which was most compelling.

Mamdani engaged younger voters and under-represented communities by tapping into the cultures and platforms they already inhabit, breaking from the standard political playbook by adopting an approach that was culturally fluent rather than formal.

Though using the full remit of channels at their disposal, honourable mentions in particular go to how his team used X (Twitter) effectively as a rapid response tool, helping them shape the narrative, explain policy and encourage community participation, and TikTok and Instagram, where his campaign produced slick vertical videos, influencer collaborations and fan-generated content, fancams, memes, remix videos, tapping into younger people’s entertainment habits rather than treating social media as a one-way megaphone.

Meanwhile, his message was clear and consistent: cost-of-living crisis, affordability, working-class interests. Social media helped amplify these into digestible, shareable visuals.

Ultimately, Mamdani’s win is not only about political upset. It’s another signal of how a shift in how persuasion, mobilisation and social-media culture interplay. For politicians and businesses alike, the key takeaway is: meet people where they are, in the formats they use, with a story and substance they care about. And give them a role in participating, not just being told.

TL;DR. 5 quick lessons from Mamdani’s campaign:

Be present in the right spaces - Mamdani used multiple platforms deliberately, understanding where his audiences were and how to adapt his approach depending on the channel. Businesses need to ensure a joined-up strategy across channels, adapting format, tone and message appropriately, while not being afraid to explore newer, more consumer focused channels such as TikTok.

Be proactive with your narrative - Don’t wait for issues to hit. Create content that aligns with your values, purpose and audiences ahead of time.

Build community, don’t just broadcast messages - Instead of top-down messaging, Mamdani’s campaign built a community of supporters who themselves created content and spread the message. Businesses could learn to empower and amplify grassroots creators, volunteers and micro-influencers, enabling them to share the story.

Use cultural and format fluency - Understand what formats (e.g. short form video) your audience uses and engages with and speak their visual/cultural language.

Link message to action - Whether it’s policy or corporate purpose, the social content needs to reference real commitments or mechanisms, not just feel-good slogans.