Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Obama, Global Warming and Instagram

It comes as no surprise, by now, that politics and social media have become good friends. With Instagram being referred to as the most important online network by teenagers*, PR might just have found its new trump card.

This time, it was Barack Obama who joined the hype, taking over the White House Instagram account on his most recent trip to Alaska. For three days, the American president used the online platform to point up to the problem of Global Warming, sharing photos and videos of his hike through a melting glacier in Alaska.

Uma foto publicada por The White House (@whitehouse) a  

Known for its natural beauty, this area has been going through alarming changes in the last years. Obama wants to catch everyone’s attention to this problem, making it clear it is urgent to take action towards climate change: "We will condemn our children to a planet beyond their capacity to repair".

What could initially be seen as a mere political stunt, can also be looked as a smart PR move, at a time when Instagram conquers the podium of social media. Going beyond Facebook (where all content was simultaneously shared), the White House was then able to reach a whole new public – selfies included. But does social media presence actually translate into impact? And even if it does for brands, does the same logic apply to politics?



Uma foto publicada por The White House (@whitehouse) a

Ana Sofia Baptista 


Data found in a survey led by Piper Jaffray earlier this year, and answered by Generation Z itself.

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