Singh’s on-trend TikToks show his deep understanding of fast-growing medium, but unclear if it will translate into votes

For politicians to reach a large audience on TikTok, it's essential to be on top of trends, and to find a way to communicate a message through these trends. But it also has some risks, because harnessing the full potential of the medium requires politicians to step outside of the way they have traditionally communicated about issues.

Saucy dance moves: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, left, capitalized on his understanding of TikTok trends last month to reach more than one million viewers with a new video, in which he eats spaghetti and dances to a catchy Russian rap song. Singh’s video is based on a trend popularized by Winnipeg TikToker John McGinnis, right, who shot to fame earlier this fall with his #fooddance videos, gaining more than six million followers.Images courtesy of Jagmeet Singh’s TikTok and John McGinnis’ TikTok

Feature

BY IAN CAMPBELL

December 13, 2021

When NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, B.C.) served up a generous plate of spaghetti with a side of dancing on the massively popular social media platform TikTok last month, he harnessed his understanding of the medium to reach more than three million viewers with his video. That understandi...

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