She reckons that Labour are currently winning the TikTok war based on their engagement metrics — the total number of views, likes and comments. Some of their most effective content is simple Tory-bashing, such as a fake dating app profile of Rishi Sunak with the caption “It’s a no from me” (195,000 views, 17,500 likes). Or a video of a pothole that leads to Rishi Sunak’s face, captioned “POV: You ask why there are so many potholes in the UK” (487,000 views, 52,900 likes). But Smith-Galer also warns against cheap tactics that don’t exactly translate to real life efficacy. “Labour have won the engagement and output race so far, but an over-reliance on memes is a brand strategy from the early 2020s,” Galer says. “It works for awareness raising about a brand name, and works less well for direct action and impact outside of the app. Ultimately, that’s what they are after — votes.”
