In the latest development for the social e-commerce space, Clubhouse, the one-year-old social audio app will now allow users to send money to their favourite creators on the platform through ‘Clubhouse Payments’. Paul Davison, the co-founder of Clubhouse, mentioned in the company’s latest town hall that the start-up wants to focus on direct monetisation on creators, instead of advertisements. Click here to read more.

News:

• Snapchat’s Spectacles news ? Snap is planning to release an updated pair of augmented-reality glasses. The new displays will allow users to see the AR effects using their phone.
• TikTok native-looking content ? Native-looking content is all the rage for big brands. TikTok has released a new video editor to help marketers create more effective content for their channels.

Start-up:

• Student internship technology ?‍? Many anticipate a hybrid workforce post-pandemic, so how will student internships be managed? Lumaki Labs is a platform that allows companies to organise and manage internship programmes whether interns are remote or in-person.

Insights:

• A Magna report suggests that the total U.S. ad spend will grow by 6% YoY in Q1 2021. This is forecast for the travel, automotive, drinks and movie industry.
• A survey by influencer marketing agency, Takumi, suggests that 73% of brands have put more budget towards influencer marketing since the pandemic.
• A 2021 survey by Pew Research shows that Reddit adoption has increased by 8%. Reddit has optimised its platform and improved its mainstream appeal.