Snap Poaches Pair of TikTok Execs (EXCLUSIVE)
Snap, as part of staffing up teams for its TikTok-like Snapchat Spotlight user-generated content initiative, has hired two executives from ByteDance’s TikTok: Sam Corrao Clanon and Varshini Satish.
Corrao Clanon (above right) has joined Snap as director of content, focusing on Spotlight. In the newly created position, Corrao Clanon oversees the company’s Community team and the Spotlight content team globally. He is based in New York and reports to Ben Schwerin, Snap’s SVP of content and partnerships.
Most recently, Corrao Clanon led content strategy and insights at TikTok, responsible for setting cross-functional strategy, prioritizing markets, identifying trends, and leading content programming and acquisition efforts. Prior to joining TikTok a little over a year ago, he was director of strategic initiatives at Group Nine Media, where he launched the company’s direct-to-consumer businesses.
Satish (above left) joined Snap as senior associate of talent partnerships, based in Los Angeles, reporting to Quincy Kevan, senior manager, talent partnerships. Satish also hails from TikTok, where she was an early member of the app’s creator partnerships team in 2018. As a partner manager at TikTok, she identified and nurtured several of TikTok’s top creators and built accelerator programs to further onboard talent and diversify content.
In addition, Snap has hired Rajni Jacques as head of fashion and beauty partnerships. Based in New York, she reports to John Imah, head of brand and games partnerships. Jacques hails from Condé Nast, where she was fashion director at Teen Vogue and Allure, and previously held fashion roles at publications including InStyle, Glamour, Nylon, The Fader, Vibe and Honey.
At Snap, Jacques is tasked with helping fashion and beauty partners build their presence on Snapchat including through AR, Bitmoji and content strategies.
Snap launched Snapchat Spotlight in November 2020 in the U.S., and reached 125 million monthly active users in March. The number of viewers watching Spotlight for at least 10 minutes daily grew by over 70% from January to March, according to the company.
To date, Snap says it has paid more than $130 million to over 5,400 creators whose posts have been featured in Spotlight. The company previously said it was doling out more than $1 million per day to Spotlight creators; going forward, Snap says it will pay out “millions per month” to Snapchatters based on engagement with their Spotlight videos.
