Interesting Reads. Industry news that you may have missed.
Influencers are flocking to a surprising new kind of social media – Fast Company
Escapex is a new platform in the social media industry, and it’s giving influencers their own app. It is part of the next wave of media aimed at smaller, private groups. Influencers on Instagram are wanting something more than interacting with people — they want to own their photos and audiences. Escapex is just that, a platform that is fully controlled by the influencer and gives them a more intimate engagement with fans.
Google just beat Amazon to launching one of the first drone delivery services – Business Insider
The Alphabet startup, Wing, just secured approval for one of the world’s first drone delivery services. The service will officially launch in Canberra, Australia, following a successful trial run. It plans to deliver items including coffee and ice cream to homes within minutes of being ordered through the app. Wing became its own company under the Alphabet brand, which is a startup owned by Google’s parent company.
Snapchat can survive, but it can’t do it alone – Engadget
Snapchat increased its earnings year over year since 2017. However, its user numbers have mostly remained flat at 186 million daily users since 2018. There is room for the social media app to grow, but it can’t do so on its own. Snapchat hopes to lure in new users by bringing the app to gaming platform such as third-party apps like Tinder and expanding its short-form, vertical-video originals series.
Walmart Is Rolling Out the Robots – The Wall Street Journal
Walmart is introducing robots to its stores to help control labor costs as it aims to increase wages and offer new services. A single machine can cut a few hours of work per day that is done by a human and can monitor inventory, clean floors, and unload trucks. Walmart plans to add robots in at least 300 stores this year, so it can serve more shoppers purchasing online and battle Amazon’s online store.
