Tinder taps TikTok influencers to lure Gen Z
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Young people are finding dating apps more appealing after watching paid influencers on TikTok share their experiences, per Tinder's recent brand sentiment study shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: The marketing strategy comes after reports that Gen Z and Millennials are not interested in swiping and are instead seeking in-person alternatives, negatively impacting Tinder parent Match Group's business.
The big picture: Match Group has struggled on the public market in recent years. The company has reported negative payer growth for the past eight quarters.
- Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley says the campaign was intended to address the narrative that meeting in person is better than the apps.
- "We know that you want an IRL meet cute. That's great. It's really hard for it to happen," Hobley says. "Finding love on an app is so possible. It's really fun. It can lead to you finding someone great."
Zoom in: Tinder enlisted six TikTok influencers to produce a series of videos from September to December where they shared their experiences trying to find potential dates in-person and then dating through Tinder. They used the hashtag #theconnectionexperience.
- Madi Webb, who has 2.6 million followers on TikTok, says she was excited to be a part of the campaign because when Tinder reached out she had recently gotten out of a relationship and saw it as a fun next step.
- Webb says she sees value in both methods of dating and that two of her best friends have met their partners on dating apps. One benefit she found in using dating apps is being able to publicly identify as queer.
- "I genuinely can count on two fingers how many times I have been in-person hit on by another woman, and that was because I was making the most crazy eye contact you've ever seen in your life," says Webb, who met a woman through Tinder in October. They are still dating.
By the numbers: According to the study by Hanover Research, prior to watching the TikTok series, 80% of Gen Z respondents said they had a positive perception of meeting a date in person and 50% said they had a positive perception of meeting via a dating app.
- After watching the series, 53% of respondents said they found dating apps more appealing while 33% say that their impression remained unchanged.
- For those who found dating apps more appealing, 50% cited the influencer's experience on the dating app and 48% cited the convenience of dating apps.
- After watching the series, 58% of respondents said they are likely to use Tinder.
The fine print: The online survey, conducted Jan. 6-9, had 492 U.S.-based respondents, ages 18-28, who regularly use social media and have dated within the past year. They were compensated.
What we're watching: Match Group reports Q4 2024 earnings on Feb. 5.
