Tech startup Community allows individuals to send and receive text messages via an app. While a fairly normal feature for any program, what's significant with Community is that these texts will supposedly allow direct communication between fans and high-profile celebrities who participate in the program.
The invite-only app actually began as the startup Schimmur, which started back in 2014 and focused on connecting the public to popular social media personalities at the time.
Since then, Schimmur evolved into Community. Actor Ashton Kutcher and talent manager Guy Oseary became strong investors in 2019. Now, instead of social media figures only, Community focuses on connecting members of the public with high-profile clientele like musicians, actors, and star athletes.
Recently, rapper Eminem joined, posting the invitation "text me, I'll hit you back" to his 30.7 million followers on Instagram. He included the number 313-666-7440 where the public can supposedly text him and he will text back.
Part of the appeal to clients and the reasoning behind why celebrities are beginning to flock to the service appears to relate to control and overcoming certain limitations inherent in current popular social media platforms like Twitter
However, according to Wired, what may be happening moreover is that Community is attempting to launch itself as yet another social media platform, specifically for the purpose of connecting fans with celebrities for marketing purposes.
In fact, a selection of Community's terms of service reads: "You understand and acknowledge that conversations using the Service are not private conversations with Clients but are intended as messages sent and interactions solely for purposes of promoting and/or advertising the Client and the Client's products and service."
It's hard to say if this means that reply texts aren't actually being sent from the celebrities themselves or if simply the conversations aren't private texts between the public and celebrities.
Either way, it's safe to assume that these phone numbers aren't anyone's actual personal numbers but rather numbers generated through Community.
In addition to Eminem, other celebrities who have joined the direct-messaging platform so far include Paul McCartney, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Schumer, The Jonas Brothers, and Ellen DeGeneres.
- https://www.businessinsider.com/eminem-shares-phone-number-using-text-message-marketing-startup-community-2020-5
- https://www.wired.com/story/ashton-kutcher-tweeted-phone-number/
- https://www.fastcompany.com/90439032/why-your-favorite-celebs-are-ditching-twitter-for-an-app-youve-never-heard-of
- https://www.metrotimes.com/city-slang/archives/2020/05/26/no-eminem-didnt-give-out-his-phone-number-but-he-is-hosting-a-listening-session-and-live-chat-for-true-stans
- https://musically.com/2020/05/27/eminem-taps-community-platform-for-messaging-with-fans/
