Last month, during a live game show on audio-chat app Clubhouse, tech entrepreneur and investor Noah Lichtenstein and his co-hosts handed out US$3,200 in prizes funded by Square Inc-owned payment company Cash App, which sponsored the event.
Brands are experimenting on Clubhouse in wide-ranging ways without a playbook. Some companies are offering money to well-known Clubhouse creators to sponsor their audio rooms. Others see opportunities to generate free buzz or get live feedback on their products, Clubhouse hosts said. Cil and other executives enjoyed Clubhouse so much that RBI’s global Popeyes team plan to host their own session, Fulton added.
While the app lacks advertising formats, some hosts are experimenting with inserting information about sponsors into the conversations. Shondra Washington, an Audio Collective founder and president of investment firm TBC-Capital, said she discussed her need for a new computer to incorporate mention of Upsie, a startup that provides warranties for tech devices and recently sponsored her Clubhouse room called “CrowdHouse.