Milestones

Facebook Dating has just expanded its service to include two more countries: Mexico and Argentina.

The social media giant’s new dating platform launched in 2018, and was first introduced to Facebook users in Colombia, and then later in Canada and Thailand. Mexico and Argentina are the latest countries to join the rollout.

According to CNET, Facebook also revealed some new features it will be adding to its dating service soon. “Auto Profile Create” does just what it implies – it can automatically generate a profile for you by gathering photos and information from your existing Facebook account, making it easier to get started. Users have the ability to edit or remove information in the auto-generated profile, or they can opt to build one from scratch.

Not content with being one of the most well-known names in the dating space - as well as a facilitator for friendships and a growing power in the world of business networking - Bumble has set its sights on conquering the entertainment industry.

The company recently announced the return of the Female Film Force, a UK-based initiative launched last year to fund short films from aspiring women filmmakers in the UK and Ireland. The inaugural 2018 competition yielded 1,100 pitches and awarded five filmmakers (writer, directors or producers) £20,000 each to make a film embodying Bumble’s values of female empowerment, equality and kindness.

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.

Bumble confirmed that a new ad featuring its latest celebrity partner Serena Williams will debut during the first half of the SuperBowl.

According to AdWeek, Bumble teased a new campaign with the tennis star, admitting that it would coordinate with the SuperBowl, though it wasn’t clear if they were planning to air an ad during the game, one of the most-watched annual events in the U.S. (and one of the most expensive ad buys). Bumble has now confirmed their first SuperBowl ad will feature Serena Williams and their new campaign “The Ball is in Her Court.”

Bumble, a female-friendly dating app, is serious about its female-empowerment mission. Over the past few years, the brand has debuted offerings that appeal specifically to women, such as partnering with Moxy Hotels to offer BumbleSpot – verified locations where Bumble users can meet for dates, career networking, or potential new friendships - in an effort to create safe spaces for women.

The New Match Dating App

In late 2018 Match did a major update for both their website and dating apps (iOS and Android). They dropped a number of features and made the navigation simpler to use. In a sense Match has gone back to the basics of online dating, offering only the key features needed to search, match and message.

The apps and website more closely mirror each other now with this new version in terms of design and features. One of the main things you will notice when you first launch the new app or log into the website is the updated color pallet. Gone are the washed out darker blues. In its place you have a much more vibrant blues. This makes things pop more on the screen. Profiles also stand out more in searching and matching as they appear on screen larger. Other changes include:

Bumble disclosed in an exclusive to website Bustle that they will soon be launching a new feature called BumbleSpots to help its members meet face-to-face.

BumbleSpots offers Bumble-verified locations where its members can meet so they feel safe grabbing a drink with a match for the first time IRL. It’s a new way for the female-friendly dating app to appeal to its prime market: single women.

Getting people to meet in person instead of messaging each other over a dating app is no small feat. Tinder and Hinge have been trying different approaches to get users to meet face to face, but it’s still a difficult proposition. This is especially tough for female daters, who feel unsafe meeting strangers at locations or neighborhoods that are unfamiliar. Bumble wants to remove as many barriers as possible for women to feel more empowered in the online dating process - not only to reach out via a dating app, but also initiate meeting in person.