How the emphasis on partner finding apps has transformed the dating culture.
Bumble is a revolutionary new dating app that has shifted online dating. The app differentiates itself from apps like Tinder by making women initiate first contact with their potential suitor. This angle creates a feeling of safety in the consumer.
Public perception of meeting people on the internet is affected by the media’s representation of online predators. Sexual assault stories circulate news cycles and have an effect on people’s willingness to meet strangers online. Individuals, particularly women, desire safety because of the perceived threat of sexual assault. Allowing women to choose who they want to initiate contact with allows more security and control over their dating situation. This app strategy changes the social dynamic of online dating. Traditional female gender roles have women awaiting male communication exhibiting non aggressive communicational tactics.
Bumble breaks this mold and uses it as a platform for their innovation. The app’s press is created by young college students who are predominantly female. These undergraduates promote the app by handing out tee shirts and setting up “bumble booths” where employees inform students about the dating app. This marketing strategy gives the app a youthful and novel social perception. Bumble gains traction with this hands-on approach for the app places itself at the epicenter of collegiate life by employing students.
College students are an important target market for the app because they are tech-savvy and open to communicate in more unique ways than older generations. The bulk of bumble’s advertising is focused on apparel and novelty items: phone cases, key chains, and drink sleeves. This approach allows them presence on and off of college campuses, and is a more cost effective method than a large multi-media campaign. The app alters traditional gender roles through female suitor selection, while conserving marketing capital in its apparel oriented marketing strategy.
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