Portal giant Daum is making waves in the digital landscape, reviving its real-time search keywords feature after a six-year hiatus and doubling down on its community services. This strategic move comes as the company prepares to be acquired by artificial intelligence (AI) startup Upstage, signaling a push to boost user engagement through innovative offerings.
Industry insiders revealed on Wednesday that Daum is gearing up to launch Daum Community in April, a new social media-style platform. This revamp will transform the existing Community Tab in the mobile app into a dynamic hub for sharing trending topics and everyday experiences.
The Community Tab, currently nestled at the bottom of the Daum app, showcases popular community posts. This layout emerged from a major overhaul of the Daum mobile app in January last year, marking the first significant update in nearly a decade. The tab now features discussion forums and polling functions centered around news outlets, alongside trending posts from Daum Cafe organized by time of day.
The upcoming redesign will see the Community Tab evolve into a personalized social feed service. Users will have the ability to track various trends in real-time and share quick thoughts on the fly.
Daum is billing this new offering as a text short-form service, facilitating real-time exchanges of diverse stories and opinions. The platform also touts direct communication channels with experts across various fields as a key selling point.
While the specifics remain under wraps, industry watchers speculate that the service could bear similarities to platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Meta’s Threads.
In preparation for the launch, AXZ, Daum’s parent company, is currently recruiting a Daum Community Official Crew to serve as influencers during the service’s initial phase. The recruitment drive runs until March 31, with the selected crew set to be active from April 20 to July 12. As an incentive, participants who meet posting quotas will receive KakaoPay points valued between 10,000 to 15,000 KRW (about 6.67 to 10.01 USD) per month.
A Daum spokesperson stated that its April launch aims to introduce a revolutionary community service that significantly enhances user participation and communication experiences. It is committed to fostering a healthy digital space where users can forge deep connections and engage in meaningful dialogue.
In a related development, Kakao inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in late January to transfer shares of AXZ, Daum’s operating company, to Upstage. In return, Kakao will acquire a stake in the AI startup. This move positions Upstage to leverage Daum’s vast data resources to further refine its AI capabilities.