Marketing News Roundup: March 8, 2021
--
Welcome to another weekly roundup across tech, social platform and marketing campaign news! On the tech front, Square bought a majority stake in Tidal with plans to shake up the artist economy, Netflix is creating a TikTok clone, Arizona is going after Apple, and more. For social platforms, TikTok’s parent company launching its own version of Clubhouse in China, Instagram caused an uproar after “accidently” removing likes, and more. On the marketing campaign front, IKEA has created a digital game to address inequality in our homes, a look at Chipotle and e.l.f’s buzzy makeup collab, Banky’s hilarious new Bob Ross tribute, and more!
Also: I’m mixing up my style of how I write this weekly newsletter and would love your feedback — leave a comment below! With that said, let’s jump in!
China’s ByteDance, is planning on launching its own version ofaudio chat app Clubhouse for the Chinese market
https://gizmodo.com/what-if-clubhouse-but-with-state-censorship-tiktok-ow-1846409739
After Clubhouse launched briefly in China only to be shut down by the government, dozens of apps emerged cloning the social audio network’s capabilities. However, none have been wildly successful, paving the way for ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to come in and launch their own Clubhouse rival.
Why this is a big deal: ByteDance has the funds, the audience and the relationships to make a Chinese Clubhouse clone fly. However, in comparison to the actual Clubhouse, ByteDance will need to follow Chinese guidelines, limiting free speech on the platform. Clubhouse was shut down in China for not meeting these guidelines.
Will it be successful? My prediction is yes. China has an impressive social media landscape, but social audio is a missing element. Video is very popular, including eCommerce “live shopping” type content, but by eliminating the need to be on camera, it could open the door to more Chinese users to discuss topics of interest and connect with people in real time through their voices. Not everyone wants to be on camera!
