Hinge

Hinge has taken a bold new step in differentiating itself in a crowded dating app market. Its new branding campaign was just unveiled with the slogan “designed to be deleted,” assuring users of its intention: to help them find serious relationships and get off the app for good.

According to The Verge, Hinge has also debuted a new redesign to put this message front and center for users. The new profile creation process utilizes animation and prompts for users to add information about themselves, adding the tag at the end of each suggestion: “so you can delete us.”

Image: Sensor Tower

After more than two years in the top spot, Netflix is no longer the world’s highest-grossing non-gaming mobile app. That title now goes to Tinder, which grossed $260.7 million from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store in the first quarter of this year.

App store intelligence firm Sensor Tower recently released its rankings of the highest grossing apps in the United States and worldwide for Q1 2019. Overall, global app revenue reached $19.5 billion last quarter, up nearly 17 percent year-over-year. Consumer spending on Apple’s App Store totaled approximately $12.4 billion globally, while Google Play revenue grew 20.2 percent year-over-year to approximately $7.1 billion. The world is increasingly moving to mobile, and for companies that are prepared to capitalize on the change, the potential for profit is huge.

Match Group announced that it has fully acquired dating app Hinge, owning 100 percent of the company along with other high-profile brands like Tinder and OkCupid. This news comes on the heels of Match Group’s announcement that it exceeded revenue expectations in the last quarter of 2018, causing its stock to rise.

Previously, Match Group stock had been downgraded from hold to buy by Deutsch Bank analysts. But with the earnings report, its stock climbed more than 5 percent.

Part of the appeal of Match Group to investors is that it has acquired a host of popular dating apps, including Hinge. The app has been through a rebrand over the last year, focusing on attracting more serious daters.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, love is in the air for couples around the world and dating platforms are seeing dollar signs. Tinder and Hinge have both announced collaborations to release branded product lines that celebrate love and singlehood as Cupid’s season kicks off.

Tinder teamed up with Barcelona-based fashion company Stradivarius to release a range of t-shirts in European markets. Each tee features a simple design of the dating app’s logo and a slogan on a black or white base. The three options include “You Looked Taller On Tinder,” “I’m Your Right Swipe,” and the punny “Love Me Tinder.” The shirts are available now on the Stradivarius website and in-store for £15.99 in the UK or €12.99 in mainland Europe.

Along with announcing its first-ever fashion collaboration, Tinder is also entering the world of homewares. The dating platform joined forces with Homesick Candles to take a humorous jab at Valentine's Day culture. The candle, named “Single, Not Sorry,” honors Singles’ Awareness Day, the anti-commercialism antidote to Valentine’s Day that falls on February 15.

Dating app Hinge wants its users to meet in person over cuffing season, specifically over burritos from Chipotle.

Hinge partnered with the popular Mexican food chain to offer free burritos for its users from December 13-31, the height of cuffing season when people tend to hook up during the cold days of winter. What better time to share a hot, delicious meal with someone you met over a dating app?

Hinge users get a buy one/ get one free deal for burritos, salad, or an order of tacos, according to website Bustle.

New Branding Effort for Tinder

Match Group is looking to differentiate their suite of dating apps acquired over the past few years, including star Tinder and relationship-focused app Hinge.

On a call with investors, Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg shared that the company is looking at better defining their brands, according to website Tech Crunch. This means that Match Group has decided to embrace the hook-up reputation of Tinder to attract younger users from 18-25, who aren’t necessarily looking for a long-term relationship.

Match Group will launch a new branding effort called “single lifestyle” with billboard campaigns and digital initiatives. It’s begun publishing content on the “Swipe Life” website with stories about travel and dating. Recent articles have included “7 Exit Strategies for Terrible Dates,” and “Study Abroad Hookup Confessions.”