Study: Coconut Tree Memes Lead to 1000% Increase in Positive Sentiment for Kamala Harris

The popular TikTok and X posts have had a major impact on Harris’ ability to reach Gen Z voters

A study released on July 29, 2024 by a team of faculty from the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication in the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University shows that TikTok and X content that resonates with Gen Z voters, specifically memes surrounding coconuts and Mario Kart, is driving major interest in Kamala Harris and having a positive impact on her presidential campaign.

Researchers examined more than 265,000 social media conversations on various social media platforms (X, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, Tumblr, blogs, etc.) over seven days, from July 18 to July 24, 2024. Highlights from the study include:

• 1818% increase of social media conversations pertaining to coconut tree memes

• 973% increase in positive sentiment around Harris-related memetic content

• 574 million TikTok views

• Double the amount of online content related to the infamous Mario Kart course “Coconut Mall”

• “Coconut Mall/Harris” studied mash-ups had a higher increase in view rate than even the recent “CupcakKe” remix trends

• This audience landscape on TikTok shows that embracing pop meme culture has enabled Harris to connect with traditionally difficult-to-reach younger demographics, a political audience relevant to Harris’ campaign.  Specifically, Joe Biden’s candidacy in 2024 was failing to inspire significant enthusiasm from younger voters, with 62% having a negative opinion of Biden.

• Meme related content on TikTok over the studied timeframe reached over half (58%) of viewers under the age of 24.

From the full study about coconuts: “The reference to coconut trees originated from Harris’ speech in May 2023 to advocate opportunities for Hispanic Americans. During the speech, Harris stressed the importance of considering the context, such as the needs of students’ families, teachers, and communities by stating: ‘Everything is in context. My mother…would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’”

The coconut theme was amplified by an edit by @ranvision_official that places Harris’ words over the theme song for the Mario Kart racecourse “Coconut Mall.” Coconut Mall is a famous track in the Mario Kart series, and the music has become a variation of the 2008 Rick Roll meme. As of July 29, the video garnered more than 1.5 views.

“Coconut tree memes and emojis have become a distinct symbol of support and admiration for Harris among younger generations. Young voters found that such a funny, quirky association of the VP with coconut showcased her unique persona and resonated with diverse audiences,” said Dr. Yi Luo, study co-author and Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Media.

“With more than half of Gen Zs who are of age to vote, meme culture is playing an unprecedented role in the 2024 Presidential election. The participatory nature of social media is expected to continue to evolve how voters engage in election campaigns in the future,” said Dr.  Jin-A Choi, study co-author and Assistant Professor in the School of Communication and Media.

“The integration of meme content and election promotion, seems novel but it has a long history.  Frank Sinatra, for example, remixed the song ‘High Hopes’ turning it into a campaign theme for John F. Kennedy in 1960. It was as unique as the viral coconut content of today,” said Dr. Bond Benton, study co-author and Professor in the School of Communication and Media.

The full study is the eighteenth from the Montclair team at the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication and can be found here. The study was conducted by Dr. Yi Luo, Dr. Jin-A Choi, and Dr. Bond Benton.

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About the School of Communication and Media: The School of Communication and Media offers a range of dynamic programs in communication and media to a talented and diverse student population of over 1,800. Offering degrees in film and television, social media and public relations, advertising, journalism and digital media, sports communication, communication and media studies, animation and visual effects, and an MA devoted to strategic communication, the School prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. The School houses award-winning student programs that include WMSC Radio, The Montclarion newspaper,  Hawk Communications Agency, the Red Hawk Sports Network, Hawk+ OTT streaming platform, and News Lab, as well as the Center for Cooperative Media, which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local journalism. Student projects and programs have recently received national recognition from PRSSA’s Bateman Competition, an Edward R Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and a College Television Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 

Media Contact: Keith Green, School of Communication and Media, 973-655-3701 or greenk@montclair.edu