The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an international military alliance, is recruiting creators.
According to Bloomberg, the alliance invited 16 content creators from member countries, including the UK, Germany, and France, to its annual summit in Washington D.C. from July 9 to 11.
Cumulatively, according to the alliance, these creators have 40 million followers across social media platforms.
A NATO spokesperson claimed that that while the alliance paid for these creators’ travel expenses, NATO will not implement any editorial control over what the creators post regarding the summit.
“We know that more and more people are receiving news through social media channels, including via content creators,” the alliance spokesperson told Bloomberg.
“During the NATO Summit, we are engaging with these voices to reach additional audiences and explain the importance of the alliance and its 75th Anniversary.”
These 16 creators joined a further 10 influencers who were invited by the U.S. Defense and State Departments. This might seem surprising given the U.S. Government’s somewhat hostile position on TikTok.
But it’s worth remembering that influencers are frequently invited to the White House by President Joe Biden. This includes ad-hoc visits and private briefings regarding his State of Union address earlier this year. The White House is even launching its own creator economy conference.
Creators specifically were also invited to the Democratic National Convention last month. As election fever grows, Biden’s social team is also coordinating a whole TikTok campaign to appeal to Gen Z audiences.
Ultimately, this desire to reach Gen Z audiences is arguably what lies at the heart of creators’ expanded presence at events like these. And, after years of snobbery, perhaps it’s overdue.
