Commentary

Tinder Scoring Big With Gen Z Content



Navigating the apocalypse while looking to get lucky might sound complicated. But Swipe Night, Tinder’s first foray into streaming video, shows just how canny some digital brands can be about content.

As part of its ongoing effort to appeal to younger users, it launched the interactive adventure in October and ran it every Sunday that month. It was such a big hit with its Gen Z audience that the dating app says it plans to offer it on demand soon, and roll it out to international markets next year.

The video follows a group of friends who just found out the world will end in three hours. As the adventure unfolds, users have seven seconds to consider moral dilemmas and make practical choices. And when they look for people to meet up with, they can see whether their decisions line up with potential matches.

I’m not on Tinder, and this only caught my eye because of the results: Match, in announcing its quarterly earnings report, says the five-minute interactive videos drove engagement, with millions tuning in for each of the four episodes. And the company also reported that it led to a 20% to 25% increase in “likes,” as compared to a typical Sunday night, and a 30% increase in matches.

advertisement

advertisement

But what makes it different from so much content generated by digital brands, it seems to me, isn’t just that it’s fun or interesting. So are plenty of Snap filters, infographics, immersive experiences or any other content-marketing workhorses.

Swipe Night is engaging content that goes right to the heart of what the brand does — something many brands can’t quite figure out. (My favorite exceptions include Etsy, Dollar Shave Club and Airbnb.)

Honestly, couldn’t we learn plenty about a person by watching him or her approach the apocalypse? Maybe even more than by seeing them order at an all-night diner, or bringing them home for Thanksgiving?

Tinder says this is all part of a larger content strategy aimed at its social-media-driven Gen Z audience. That includes recent product releases like Tinder U, Loops, Spring Break Mode and Festival Mode. And then there’s the Swipe Life blog.

“We're focused on bringing more content, context and shared experiences to Tinder because these are things we know Gen Z cares about,” a Tinder spokesperson tells D2C FYI. “Gen Z is not just digital-native, but social media-native, so content is essential so we can help them speak in their language on our platform when making new connections.”

Next story loading loading..