What Groups Can Learn From Trump’s Surprising Surge with Young Voters

For years, the prevailing cultural narrative has been that younger Americans — Gen Z and younger millennials — are addicted to their phones, disengaged, and disillusioned with the trappings of modern capitalism. To the extent young voters were engaged, it was on the left side of the aisle. 

But Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign disrupted that assumption in a big way. His campaign made measurable inroads with voters under 30, a demographic long thought to be more AOC and less DJT. According to CNN Exit Polls in 2024, Trump closed the gap with voters under 30 to just 11 points — down from a 24-point deficit in 2020 and a 19-point gap in 2016. In politics, that shift is seismic. 

And it isn’t a fluke. In fact, I’ve seen the same kind of movement across campaigns. Our experience found a younger generation that’s open to dialogue. There’s an important lesson here for companies and trade associations with a positive story to tell: This is your moment — don’t waste it. 

Here are three guiding principles to consider as you tailor your message to the next generation of political activists. 

Set Aside Assumptions

Gen Z is often caricatured as distracted, politically apathetic, and obsessed with scrolling reels on TikTok. But that misses the mark, and the opportunity.

This is a generation that came of age amid explosive change: the COVID-19 pandemic, economic volatility, ballooning housing costs, and the AI revolution. These events have shaped a worldview not defined by apathy, but by a yearning for stability and agency.

One of the more interesting dynamics of this population is their rejection of the traditional left-right political spectrum. They might support student loan relief and express skepticism of elite institutions. They may care deeply about climate change and American energy independence. Effective messaging today must reckon with this ideological fluidity.

Takeaway: Conduct qualitative research, not just polling. Conduct a focus group or simply talk to your youngest employees, interns, and customers. Audit your existing message through their lens. Be on the lookout for anything that sounds corporate, out-of-touch, or dismissive of their lived reality.

Connect First, Persuade Second

Connecting with youth isn’t a matter of swapping in generationally appropriate slang words and inserting a trending hashtag. If anything, that risks attracting mockery from your target audience. As has been the case with every generation, resonant messaging starts with respect. For Gen Z and younger Millennials, that means addressing their real priorities: cost of living, identity, autonomy, and a desire to be part of something meaningful.

In 2024, Trump leaned into themes of national decline and uncertainty — messaging that tapped into many young Americans’ anxiety about their future. His message was clear and emotionally validating. Too often, corporate communications play it safe, producing sanitized content that feels divorced from real life.

What you’re saying matters as much as how you’re saying it. While most politicians stick to carefully honed talking points, Trump says exactly what he’s thinking — and the authenticity resonates. Gen Z doesn’t need to agree with you on every issue. But they do need to see that your message is rooted in authenticity and is relevant to their life and their values.

Takeaway: When crafting messaging, ask: What real concern is this addressing? How does this make our brand feel relevant to a 24-year-old struggling with rent or navigating the AI-driven job market?

Reach Youth Where They Are

It’s no secret that American’s information consumption habits have changed dramatically and rapidly. Trump’s 2024 campaign invested heavily in non-traditional channels, repurposing content across platforms like Snapchat, YouTube Shorts, and Barstool Sports-adjacent networks that deliver cultural credibility. This offers a blueprint for any entity serious about youth engagement.

Consider these channels for high-impact engagement:

• Barstool Sports: Especially potent for male audiences, Barstool content integrates seamlessly into sports and lifestyle culture. 
• Snapchat: The costs per view are unbeatable, and it’s still one of the top platforms for daily engagement among Gen Z. Use it for frequent, visual messaging with a clear call to action.
• Meta platforms: Meta and Instagram capture one another strategically–a user might engage with community event content on Facebook, then later scroll through Instagram and encounter the ad again. That repeated exposure across platforms helps create a more effective and seamless funnel to reach users wherever they are.
• X: The platform has undergone whiplash reputational changes under Elon Musk’s ownership, but it remains effective for sequential storytelling and message reinforcement. Think consistently authentic content, not one-off posts.
• Spotify: High retention rates and customizable ad formats make it perfect for longer-term narrative development.

Takeaway: Tailor your message and creative to each platform. Don’t export a Facebook ad to Snapchat and expect results. Track engagement and adjust: one benefit of digital communication as compared to traditional media is agility, allowing you to tweak and refine your message based on what resonates.

The consequences of ignoring this demographic are entirely predictable and should keep any reputation-savvy, future-focused business executive awake at night. 

Michael Fortney is a Partner at Spark Advocacy. He has led grassroots advocacy and earned media campaigns for corporate and trade association clients in the energy, banking and healthcare sector. Michael’s public affairs expertise is built upon an extensive track record in managing political campaigns at all levels of government.