Authenticity and the performance of ordinariness are increasingly attractive elements of a political candidate’s brand. Social media particularly can be a space to present the “no-filter self” using more casual language, posting images and videos of everyday situations and using emojis or memes – just like the average person would.
In terms of authenticity, at election times, being ordinary, approachable and in touch are seen as potential vote-winning attributes. In Canada’s 2025 election, for example, research has found that these strategies were seen as necessary to stop the candidates coming across as out of touch at a time when politicians might seem to be a breed apart.
