• by Colin Kirkland , October 18, 2023

Famed turkey distributor Butterball has announced a collaboration with Bumble For Friends (BFF), the dating app's friend-finding feature.

Through the #FindYourTable initiative, both companies plan to launch a series of in-person and virtual Friendsgiving events leading up to Thanksgiving Day, along with digital resources for hosting and making meaningful connections.

“Togetherness is our core value at Butterball, and we understand that many people are longing for new and meaningful connections right now,” says Christa Leupen, director of purpose at Butterball. “That's why we're so pleased to partner with Bumble For Friends to help people find their table and celebrate the holidays in a way that is authentic to them.”

Butterball cites its own 2023 Outlook Report in a press release, showing that 20% of people surveyed plan to either celebrate Thanksgiving alone or not celebrate at all because their family lives too far away. 

BFF says its own survey shows that 60% of respondents showed a desire to make friends, with 73% of millennials wanting to find new friends and 39% of Gen-Z agreeing they are stuck in outdated friendships that no longer serve them.

For people seeking to expand their social circles this holiday season, Butterball and Bumble will host a #FindYourTable launch event in New York City on November 2, where turkey experts from Butterball's talk-line will speak alongside a group of trained friendship coaches. The companies say attendees should expect hands-on demonstrations, tastings and more.

Virtual events will also be available to those interested in learning how to roast a whole turkey and host their own unique holiday festivities.

“Friendship and bonding with others over shared interests like enjoying a delicious meal are vital parts of our well-being, and this is especially important when navigating the often busy and stressful holiday season,” said Beth Berger, general manager at BFF.

The BFF app -- first announced at the start of the summer -- is an offshoot of Bumble's 2016 friend-finding mode, which CNBC reported in January had not proven very lucrative for the dating app. According to Morgan Stanley's 2023 revenue estimate, only $1 million of over $1 billion in revenue is coming from BFF and Bumble's career networking service Bizz.

Per the Butterball partnership, BFF is adding a new Friendsgiving option to its group planning feature beginning November 1, allowing U.S.-based users with at least two connections to select Friendsgiving from a list of plan categories they want to organize with their BFF connections.