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Clubhouse: Can the Audio Social Media Be Revived Using TikTok Moves?

Case number : 9 10 2026 001
Case published in the International Journal of Case Studies in Management, Vol. 24, No. 3
Author :  Muhammad Aljukhadar
Keywords :  social media strategies vs. tactics, content strategy and creator ecosystems, social app sustainability and repositioning, digital entrepreneurship and innovation management
Date :  2026-09-07
Teaching notes included :  Yes
Abstract

In 2020, when the world was grappling with lockdowns and social isolation, Clubhouse emerged as a new social media platform that temporarily captivated Silicon Valley. Founded by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, Clubhouse introduced live audio chatrooms where users could gather to discuss various topics. Its invitation-only model attracted high-profile hosts, such as Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, and Mark Zuckerberg. By April 2021, the platform’s valuation had risen to $4 billion. However, users soon began leaving the app as quickly as they had joined. As the decline persisted, the founders announced the layoff of half of their 200 employees in 2023. Meanwhile, TikTok, a short-form video social media platform that emerged alongside Clubhouse during the lockdowns, went mainstream and began threatening Meta’s Facebook and Instagram. Could Clubhouse employ TikTok’s strategy and tactics to revive its user base?

Teaching objectives
  • Identify the challenges in launching and scaling a social media platform.
  • Analyze how different strategies impact the scalability of a social app, and differentiate between strategies and tactics.
  • Use the three-step analytical approach (Zoom In-Out-In) to leverage competitors’ achievements.
Primary domain :  Marketing
Secondary domain :  Management
Sectors :  Other Services (except Public Administration)
Type :  Traditional case (Decision-making case)
Event location :  USA
Year of start of the event :  Not available
Year the event ended :  Not available
Business size :  Self-employed worker