Dating

China has launched a new state-sponsored dating app to boost marriage rates in the country. Palm Guixi is now available in the Jiangxi province and will use personal data on its single residents there to build its matchmaking platform.

The app itself differs from traditional dating apps like Tinder and Bumble in that the state-run operation picks your matches out based on tracking data, and sets matches up via the app’s blind dates platform according to Gizmodo.

Local governments in the province are organizing in-person matchmaking events as well, encouraging single attendees to wear traditional clothes and play games as a way to break the ice and to celebrate Chinese culture  according to The Guardian.

Tinder has announced two significant new features it is rolling out, including highlighting relationship types (including non-monogamy) and allowing members to display their pronouns on their profiles.

With the new update, Tinder users will be able to choose from a variety of terms to describe their relationship type, and it will display prominently on their profile just under their name and age. They can choose from descriptions like “monogamy,” “ethical non-monogamy,” “open relationship” or “open to exploring,” for example.

According to the press release, Tinder is making this shift to put relationship types more front and center, since it found that 41 percent of Gen Z users are open to non-traditional and non-monogamous relationships. This feature complements the Relationship Goals feature the company rolled out last year, which gave users the ability to specify if they are searching for “Long-term,” “short term” or long-term, open to short-term” among other types, like “just figuring out my dating goals.”

India is now among the fastest-growing dating app markets worldwide, thanks to a growing young population of singles and their changing attitudes towards dating.

In terms of year-over-year growth, India emerged as the fifth largest market in dating app spending in 2022, according to a new study by data.ai Intelligence. Researchers found that Indian users spent $31 million more in 2022 than they did in 2021 despite economic factors like inflation that affect consumer spending.

Match Group, Bumble, and other major dating app companies have made a big investment in India, hoping to capitalize on this attractive market which now brings in millions of dollars in revenue each year to dating app companies.

Image: Tinder

Tinder launched a new in-app dictionary which defines certain slang words used by many Gen Z singles, so that older daters can understand their language.

The Tinder Dating Dictionary, crafted by 18 to 25-year-olds at Tinder, was just unveiled in Australia. It provides a detailed list of common dating terminology, including popular terms like “rizz,” “cushioning,” and “kitten fishing.” The company responded to research that showed 62 percent of their target Gen Z market felt like they “spoke a different language” than older singles when it comes to dating.

The recent survey also found that 70 percent of 18-25 year-olds regularly use dating slang compared to 55 percent of 26 to 40 year-olds. Understanding the language, Tinder assumes, will help bridge this gap.

Image: Tinder

Tinder has unveiled its first global ad campaign called “It Starts with a Swipe,” featuring vibrant and colorful artwork with an 80s pop aesthetic. The campaign celebrates different types of relationships, a pivot away from its “hook up” reputation to show a wider range of possibilities for singles.

According to Tinder’s blog post, the campaign was photographed by French photo-digital artist Pol Kurucz, and is “evocative of modern day fairy tales, featuring different possibilities, in a vibrant, electrified dating journey.”

The campaign was created in partnership with ad agency Mischief, and is directly targeted to younger Gen Z daters, who are looking for a range of relationship possibilities. The company recently surveyed singles on the app and found that globally, 40 percent of Gen Z members are looking for a long-term relationship, and only 14% are looking for a short-term connection.

Match Group, parent company of popular dating app Tinder, is in talks to purchase a strategic stake in Shaadi, an India-based online matchmaking service.

The Economic Times first reported that the two companies were in talks, and that Match Group was looking to buy out Shaadi’s institutional stakeholders, but few details have emerged.

According to Ink 42, this latest development comes after Match Group has refocused its efforts and brought on a new executive team to run Tinder, which last year saw its first quarter of revenue decline since the company went public. Match Group has set its sights on the fast-growing Asian market, especially India and its large under-30 market.