Dating App Challengers: The New Suitors Courting Gen Z

Though there’s evidence that dating apps are turning off younger users, that hasn’t stopped new brands from entering the game. Amid an era of “dating app fatigue,” a wave of challengers are targeting Gen Z and Millennial users with promises to help solve toxic dating behaviors or facilitate alternative relationship models. Some say they’re not just for romance but can also help build community. A 2022 Harvard Business Review report found that since the 2012 launch of Tinder, the original swiping app, more than 8,000 dating sites have tried to capture the market. But dating apps have a unique challenge: “If users find success, they leave [the app], and if they don’t succeed, they leave too,” a spokesperson from new app Better in Person told ADWEEK. Legacy dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge have come under fire from critics who blame them for dissatisfying experiences, as nearly half of online daters say their experiences have been negative, according to Pew Research Center data. Many dating brands are transforming their marketing strategies as a result. New players have the advantage of starting without the same baggage but are also competing for attention in an already crowded sector. “While the odds are grim, we think this industry is ripe for disruption,” the Better in Person spokesperson said. ADWEEK looks at four apps that have launched or expanded in the past year and how they’re trying to change the online dating game. After After describes itself as “unapologetically romantic.” It launched in September on Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store in Austin, TX, with more cities to follow. The brand claims it can improve the transactional online dating experience with features such as Goodbye Ghosting, which requires users to share a reason for unmatching before they keep swiping. The app also shares daily positive affirmations, conversation prompts, and guides to help with issues like rejection. After’s debut campaign explicitly speaks to Gen Z singles who are grappling with dating app fatigue. The brand created the Crush Cache Clear Out Challenge on social media, paying people to clear their phones of past dating app contacts to make room for more memorable ones. After app wants to offer daters 'something fresh and more intentional on their way to happily ever after,' founder Katie Dissanayake says “I see this fatigue [with the current dating landscape] as a chance to reset and offer daters who believe in love something fresh and more intentional on their way to happily ever after,” After chief executive (CEO) founder Katie Dissanayake told ADWEEK. “We hope to encourage people to treat each other more gently, take mindful breaks when necessary, and overall take care of themselves and each other as they date.” Better in Person Better in Person debuted in August nationwide with a similar goal to disrupt negative dating behaviors. A provocative campaign – which featured 60 billboards in Los Angeles and seaplanes with banners traversing the coastlines of New Jersey, Long Island, New York, and Southern California – told daters to “Report every f**kboy you know.” (A “fuck boy” is a modern dating term, defined on Better in Person’s website as someone who “pretends to want a relationship but is just trying to get in your pants.”) Better in Person's launch campaign challenged toxic dating behaviors The brand bills itself as a “no-BS dating app” for “intentional dating.” Not welcome: fuck boys, cat fishers, and people who just want a pen pal. The app allows users to report so-called fuck boys, who after three strikes will receive a warning banner on their profile–to remove it, they have to send an apology video from their mom. (Better in Person notes that any gender can be reported as a fuck boy.) To make online dating feel more personal and authentic, another distinguishing feature is a “vibe-check,” a 5-second video verification in which users answer prompts like, “My favorite food” or “My idea of a perfect day.” With market research company Pollfish, Better in Person surveyed 395 users of Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge and found that on average, only 6% of matches result in real-life meetups. “This is the gap our app aims to bridge,” a Better in Person spokesperson said. “We created Better in Person for people who actually want to meet face-to-face rather than staying in an endless loop of chatting and matching with people you’ll never meet.” @alexacurtisunfiltered Lol ♬ original sound - Noah Since launch, Better in Person appears to be slowly gaining traction. As of Sept. 14, it hit number 48 on the Apple App Store’s list of most downloaded apps in the social networking category–ranking above legacy dating app Match, which was 53rd. Feeld Feeld started in 2014 as a hookup and group sex platform known as 3nder. Following a lawsuit from Tinder over its similar name, it rebranded as Feeld, and has gained popularity as an app connecting people who are interested in polyamory, ethical non-monogamy, kink, and other alternative relationships and sexual preferences. The app and its community have since grown beyond its U.K. base to countries including the U.S. and Australia, and there is evidence that it’s going mainstream. In 2023, its profits nearly doubled to $7.3 million (5.5 million pounds), on the back of revenues rising from $27.5 million (20.7 million pounds) to $52.5 million (39.5 million pounds). Following a brand refresh last year, Feeld now calls itself a “dating app for the curious” and clarifies on its website that it’s “not just [for] hookups” but has a mission “to elevate the human experience of sexuality and relationships.” It offers over 20 “Desires Tags” that range from “threeway” to “ENM” (ethical nonmonogamy) and “celibate.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Feeld (@feeldco) To appeal to more users, Feeld has expanded into social events, such as hosting a gathering in New York City earlier this year. “In a world of transactional dating that focuses on functional connections with partners or hookups, Feeld is focused on relationship exploration that helps you discover yourself and your people,” marketing manager Grace Alexander told ADWEEK. “Feeld’s growth has accelerated as more people more openly pursue their desires.” Archer Last year, online dating behemoth Match Group launched Archer in the U.S. as a competitor to Grindr, catering to Gen Z and Millennial queer men. Michael Kaye, head of brand, said Archer isn’t just a dating app: “It’s a relationship-building app, whether you’re seeking a platonic or romantic connection.” He said 72% of Archer users are looking for friendship, compared to 67% who want something casual and 69% who want a relationship. Features like curated community channels and tags, which signal hobbies and interests, are focused on helping users “build community and find friendships,” Kaye explained. Archer is for both romantic and platonic connections Archer also provides selfie verification and an AI capability that auto-blurs potential nudity in chats. There are two layouts for users: Dating Mode and Hookup Mode. In June during Pride Month, it debuted a campaign by agency Tombras, “Solicited D*cks,” which said that while dick picks have become synonymous with gay dating apps, “consent is sexy.” The brand put up posters with the tagline at bars and events across the country. Archer ads said 'consent is sexy' The company has leaned into experiential marketing, hosting the Archer House on Fire Island for the past two summers. On Sept. 20 it launched its first brand integration on RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars season 1, along with a viewing party on the day the episode aired. The event and integration drove a double-digit increase in downloads compared to the weekend prior, according to Kaye. Archer aims to be a different kind of app that eradicates shame and toxic behaviors, “where everyone shows a face,” said Kaye. “When I first downloaded dating apps a decade ago as a closeted gay man, the options available specifically for gay men only reinforced the idea that my kind of love should be hidden and secretive,” he said. “We created Archer for today’s queer man, celebrating self-expression and community and providing queer men with a safer space to connect freely with whatever and whoever they're looking for.”

Challenger Brands

Dating App Challengers: The New Suitors Courting Gen Z

ADWEEK looks at emerging brands trying to take on Tinder and change the online dating game

Brittaney Kiefer

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Brittaney Kiefer