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Gerindra is largest political party ... on Twitter
The country's third largest political party may have "superstar" status among young users on Twitter, but this will not translate into actual votes come 2024, say election researchers.
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Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto is the incumbent Defense Minister. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
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n early November 2021, Twitter user Bang Mieh (@rusyadimie) proudly screencapped and tweeted a pair of flip-flops he had received via the official account of the country’s third largest political party, the Gerindra Party (@Gerindra).
It started when @rusyadimie replied to a Gerindra post, saying that the straps on one of his flip-flops had broken and he was finding it hard to get a new pair. The party replied and after some back-and-forth, he received a brand-new pair of flip-flops at home, courtesy of the @Gerindra admin.
Bang Mieh, a 34-year-old sales and marketing employee, told The Jakarta Post that he was not particularly interested in politics, nor was he a Gerindra supporter. He simply saw a joke posted by @Gerindra that popped up on his timeline and found it sufficiently entertaining to follow the account.
“I don’t follow [the Twitter accounts of] other political parties, just Gerindra. I really enjoy the account and think that whoever runs it must be a fun guy. Other political parties tend to be very serious and cold in their approach,” said Bang Mieh.
Gerindra has gained a “superstar” reputation, at least on Twitter, with over 625,000 followers, a feat largely attributed to the account admin’s engagement style. Aside from posting news about the party, the account admin frequently uploads memes and banters with followers using the latest trending vernacular.
Gerindra’s Twitter admin has given more than flip-flops to its followers. A quick tweet that mentions the party usually suffices for the user to earn a random freebie, such as makeup, skincare products or chocolate on Valentine’s Day. This combination of humor, responsiveness, relatability and generosity has allowed the party to reach younger audiences online.
Not speaking about politics all the time is apparently an effective way of engaging its followers in agreeable conversations.
