Dive Brief:

• Courtyard by Marriott will host a conversation with NFL Network broadcaster Rich Eisen on invite-only audio app Clubhouse, per a press release. The hospitality brand has been the official hotel of the NFL for more than 10 years.
• The conversation will take place the night before the NFL Draft, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Users of the app can add the chat to their calendars and follow the brand and Rich Eisen on Twitter for more details.
• Courtyard by Marriott becomes the latest brand to activate on the Clubhouse app, which has quickly grown in popularity and has caused a frenzy amid social media platforms looking to join the audio-only trend.

Dive Insight:

Courtyard by Marriott's use of Clubhouse for an NFL Draft chat with Rich Eisen is another example of how the app is heating up as a destination for marketers. The invite-only audio app expanded its user base from 600,000 in December to 12.7 million by mid-March, per App Annie data shared with Marketing Dive. The app is also reportedly valued at $4 billion, quickly catching the eye of public figures and marketers.

By hosting a chat on the app, Courtyard by Marriott can engage with NFL fans around the popular draft, whether or not they are traveling to Cleveland, Ohio, for the event. Plus, the chat can help the hotel brand stay top-of-mind among consumers at a time when travel is poised to start ramping up amid COVID-19 vaccine rollouts and consumers return to pre-pandemic activities.

While still in beta, Clubhouse has attracted the attention of marketers looking for another social media platform with which to engage consumers. Burger King parent company Restaurant Brands International began hosting chat sessions with a rotating group of speakers on the app, and IHOP this month used the app to play the sound of cooking bacon as part of its rollout of Steakhouse Premium Bacon.

The popularity of the app — and of audio-only channels like podcasting — have caused other social platforms to quickly develop their own offerings. Facebook announced a slew of audio developments this week, including a feature called Live Audio Rooms that mirrors aspects of Clubhouse. Previously, Reddit launched a live chat room experiment called Reddit Talk, and Twitter — which had reportedly sought to acquire Clubhouse — rolled out audio-only Spaces last year. In addition, Spotify last month acquired Betty Labs, the creators of Locker Room, with plans to expand the sports-focused live audio app to music and cultural programming.