Character status and OC/campaigning go hand in hand. Yin and Yang. You can't have one without the other.
I don't want someone to breeze through to victory just because they're a popular/liked character without any memorable work to show for it. However, that doesn't mean I'll be supporting any random character or a character I outright dislike just because they have people autistic enough to churn out drawings or post a lot for them.
The best winners are characters who are good at being board icons or generally beloved characters of the medium while having a fun dedicated fanbase behind them to push them to the top.