THE CURRENCY – The dating industry is at a crossroads. User growth has plateaued. Apps paired addictive features with culturally resonant marketing. Tinder is synonymous with modern dating. Bumble is the feminist alternative. The pandemic was a renaissance for dating apps. “Never were people more aware of their singleness than during Covid. There was this horrible effect, this extended period where people were acutely aware they were alone,” noted Mark Brooks, a veteran strategic advisor to the dating industry. “We’re now seeing a return to pre-pandemic growth patterns, but without the same user enthusiasm,” he added.
Swiping prioritizes quantity over quality, with endless matches but few meaningful connections. This gamified approach led to singles criticizing for failing to deliver genuine connection. Court cases have tarnished the industry, and allegations of fake profiles and data misuse deepened consumer mistrust, leading to disillusionment and “dating fatigue”. Thursday hosts casual mixers and quirky speed-dating sessions and announced the closure of its core app, citing “rapidly declining consumer interest in dating apps” and is “doubling down” on in-real-life dating. Mark Brooks’s take is: “Thursday is drawing people who are real-world-oriented, not so inclined towards online dating.”
A lack of innovation has left the door wide open for social media platforms to enter the arena. Blazr, for the cannabis-friendly community, is a prime example, with 130k users. FarmersOnly caters to rural daters. The platforms that succeed will be those that prioritize meaningful connections, position themselves as lifestyle brands, and rebuild consumer trust.
by Andrea Linehan
See full article at The Currency
Mark Brooks: This will be the hot topic at the upcoming Global Dating Insights conference in NYC on Wed 19th March, and at the LTR (Love, Technology, Relationships) online mini-conference on Wed 2nd April.
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