Lessons From Mamdani: How the NY Mayoral Candidate Used Social Media to Smash the Primaries

While politics and social media can make for fickle friends, New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is defying all expectations of a politician — one TikTok at a time.

Very much the underdog, Mamdani recently stunned the city by securing 56% of the primary vote, swiping the Democratic Party nomination for mayor from under the nose of frontrunner Andrew Cuomo. Rising through the ranks from relative unknown to superstar new kid on the block, his journey is an inspiring one.

Aged just 33, Mamdani may have less experience than former NY governor Cuomo, but his ability to win hearts and minds using the art of social engagement is a masterclass in comms — one which can be applied to all brands.

So, what can we learn from the man dubbed ‘the TikTok candidate’? Quite a lot actually. Mamdani’s campaign serves as a reminder of tried-and-tested techniques we know to be true, but which can sometimes get lost as brand guidelines, time pressure or a fear of pushing boundaries take over…

1. BE NOVEL

Would you rather watch a TikTok clip with a suited politician discussing rent freezes, or with a suited politician discussing rent freezes while running into the freezing waters of Coney Island? The latter? I thought so.

And this is all part of the politician’s ability to stand out through sheer originality and novelty — two key ingredients of many a successful social media post. Putting time into quantity of posts and ‘churn’ rather than brainstorming quality ideas can mean gems like this never see the light of day.

2. BE BRAVE

With the above in mind, and the notion that politics and silliness don’t strictly go hand-in-hand, it’s fair to say Mamdani doesn’t play it safe with his comms.

Much like Aldi and its ongoing lawsuit with M&S, it’s important to take (calculated) risks. The infamous Colin the caterpillar cake copycat saga created a marketing opportunity abundant with viral content potential for Aldi. Even now they don’t seem to have exhausted it as a content stream, the latest being tongue-in-cheek mockery of the M&S strawberries and cream sandwich.

I’m not saying you necessarily need to poke fun at rivals and become embroiled in cease and desist letters, but I do encourage you to look beyond the parameters of your brand’s typical content: can you afford to be a bit braver, have a viewpoint, stand for something — or, of course, send your CEO diving into the ocean?

3. BE YOURSELF

One thing Mamdani can’t be accused of is inauthenticity. He uses a combination of charisma and informality that offers a nice middle ground when compared to the famously overly-scripted style of Kamala Harris back in 2024, and Trump’s free-flowing (to put it mildly) stream of consciousness.

What he nails is the ability to be himself, distinctly so. Many brands lack a true voice and don’t put the work into establishing how exactly they should come across, or else they fear a voice too bold and end up using the same tone of voice, style and energy as their competitors (or any other business for that matter), offering no reason for users to stop scrolling. Brands would do well to invest in not only their brand story, but in how they tell it.

4. BE AWARE OF YOUR ADVOCATES

While filming political meet and greets with the public is nothing new, Mamdani stands out for his ability to use the city as his playground, bringing the people of New York into his social media posts to portray him in the most positive light possible.

Of particular note is his infamous walk the length of Manhattan (a not insignificant 13 miles) which saw him meeting potential voters and including them in his content. Indeed, the media is quick to praise Mamdani’s volunteer-led campaign, which saw more than 50,000 people signing up to support by knocking on doors or picking up the phone. 

Mamdani recognises the power of his fans in a way brands should mimic: even the simple step of engaging with positive comments gets lost, and it always surprises me how often even big name companies fail on the fundamentals of comment response.

Businesses would also do well to champion advocates via user generated content, a tactic that has been around for many years but which really lends itself to the low-fi style of content currently booming. The bottom line: if there are people out there praising you, don’t be afraid to make use of them.

5. BE SAVVY WITH YOUR CHANNEL PARTNERS

In July last year Mamdani took to Subway Takes, a popular TikTok channel featuring real views from New Yorkers in a subway car. Mamdani’s take was more of a takedown of Eric Adams, whom Mamdani dubbed “a terrible mayor”, while discussing what he would do differently. The top two comments on the post? “This guy should run for mayor” and “Make this guy mayor asap.”

He also featured on Keep The Meter Running, another NY TikTok show with clout and an informal backdrop nicely aligned with Mamdani’s relaxed style: we’re so used to seeing politicians on podiums, but here we see him in the back of a yellow cab. Not only is Mamdani picking his channels wisely, he’s also placing himself in environments his electorate can relate to, firmly positioning himself as a man of the people, a man of New York.

Brands should take note in selecting digital partners firmly in sync with their followers’ values. It can be very tempting to work with creators with the highest number of likes, but if they don’t resonate with your core audience, this can be a mistake. Positioning is everything, and your followers will spot an inauthentic brand match a mile off.

We’ll continue to watch Mamdani’s rise with interest here at WPR.

If you’d like to learn more about social media strategy, feel free to reach out to Alex Dixon, our senior social media strategy director.

The author: Alex Dixon is a senior social media strategy director at WPR who specialises in using LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X to keep clients ahead of the curve when it comes to social media marketing.