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Design Management
Design management describes how businesses incorporate design aspects to help achieve business objectives, create products and services, attract customers, and support marketing efforts
Project Brief
We studied the Business and Management Framework of Bumble in India. We then mapped the possible Customer Profile of a Bumble User in India and looked for scope for development. This helped us ideate and led us to suggest some strategies to increase the market share of Bumble in India for the Fiscal Year of 2021/2022.
Process
Introduction
- About Bumble
- Products & Timeline
- Tone of Voice
- Global Presence
Research & Discovery
- Market Analysis
- Bumble in India
- Customer Profile
- Premise
- PESTEL Analysis
- Ansoff Matrix
- SWOT Analysis
- Redefining premise
Strategising
- Marketing Plan
- Short Term
- Mid Term
- Long Term
Future Scope & Conclusion
- Conduct Research
- Use of Technology
- Competitive Advantage
- Final Note
Introduction
Hello! I'm Bumble Bee! Happy to see here! Let me walk you through Bumble's products!
About Bumble
Bumble is a Dating app launched in 2014 in Texas, USA which was first founded to challenge the antiquated rules of dating. Now, Bumble empowers users to connect with confidence whether dating, networking, or meeting friends online. Bumble has made it not only necessary but acceptable for women to make the first move, shaking up outdated gender norms. It prioritizes kindness and respect, providing a safe online community for users to build new relationships.
Bumble was launched in India in 2018 with the motive of changing the traditional mindset of archaic gender dynamics and old-fashioned traditions still ruling the dating world. Now in 2020, it has hit 4 Million Users in India, with Women in India sending twice the number of messages on Bumble as compared to users globally. Seeing the High Market growth and response of Women about Bumble in India, we felt it has an opportunity and Market to grow further,
“I founded Bumble to empower women to build healthier and more equitable connections in an effort to improve relationships for everyone”
Whitney Wolfe Herd,
Founder and CEO of Bumble,
World's youngest self-made female billionaire
Bumble Products & Timeline
2014
2016
2017
BUMBLE DATE
BUMBLE BFF
BUMBLE BIZZ
2015
2016
2018
2019
2020
2021
Backtrack Feature
24 hr Conversation Disabled
Photo Verification
In app voice and video call
Snooze the app
Blur Lewd Images
Increase distance filters to whole country
Virtual Dating
Ban comments against body shaming
Bumble's Tone of Voice
Bumble is supportive, inclusive connections platform where people can meet each other in a comfortable, equally, healthy way.
BUMBLE IS
Safe
Inclusive
Equal
Healthy
Safe, healthy space for the
community where bullying,
harrasment and hate of
speech isn’t tolerated
Value people from accross
the gender spectrum and
beyond the binary.
Flip old fashioned gender
dynamics. We establish
equality in every relationship
in love, life and work -
starting with women making
the first move.
Encourage healthy relations
with yourself and others.
Provide safe, equal and
inclusive data.
Global Presence & People
Among the different age groups, the fastest growing one is Gen Z users. Millennials are next in line.
Of all the Bumble users, 46.2% of them are female, higher than Tinder, Match, POF, etc.
72% of Bumble users are under 35. Bumble is available in 150 countries
New York City has the most Bumble activity in the world. The majority of Bumble’s revenue comes from the USA.
With women-first features, Bumble in India has witnessed women making the first move over 15 million times.
Bumble has done well in the big cities of India for sure. Its key challenge will be to position itself as much more than a dating app for small town India.
A growing singles population (defined as unmarried people), further penetration of online dating and increased monetization.
OC&C estimates that on a global basis—defined to exclude China—there are approximately 190 million monthly active users of online dating representing a global online dating market of approximately $5.3 billion as of 2020.
Research & Discovery
Let's now look at how users perceive bumble and online dating and it's market analysis
Market Analysis
Value Proposition
Meaningful Connections & Healthy Relationships
To provide users the tools to find what they are looking for.
Innovative Features
Continuously developing new features that keep the user experience fresh, fun, engaging and impactful.
Trust and Safety
Zero-tolerance policy against misogynistic, abusive, and inappropriate behavior by leveraging technology.
A Large, Growing, Engaged Community
More users on the platform improving selection, which improves user experience and drives even more users to our platform.
Let's talk numbers!
Over 15 million
With women-first features, Bumble has witnessed women making the first move
63%
Users find video dating safe due to the pandemic
40%
Women in India use more than one mode on Bumble.
22%
The chances of better maching increases if users have three and more photos
x 2 times
Women in India are sending two times the messages when compared to women in the rest of the world
72%
Bumble users are under 35.
Marketing Strategies
Brand Startegy
Often put the users at the center of campaign to
showcase connections they made on the platform. Partner with influential and globally visible leaders like Serena Williams & Priyanka Chopra who promote the mission.
Paid Acquisition Marketing
Complement our primarily organic user acquisition model with a disciplined and innovative paid marketing strategy. It is done on a limited basis and are not reliant on it for user growth
Field Marketing
Target towards niche communities on a hyperlocal business. For example: At the end of 2019, the app campus ambassadors program included 500 students who could promote and strengthen the brand at the local level in the USA alone.
Global Expansion
Focus on expanding into new markets through local
communities around the world.
Marketing in India
YouTube - newer short-format content pieces such as ‘Dating these days’, in-line with the Making the first move ideology. The content creators and celebrities also attempt to decode dating for millennials in 2021.
On Twitter, the brand has a support page to solve grievances and share success stories from the Bumble India community.
The brand ensures a culturally relevant brand narrative across varied touch points including social media, print, and OOH. OOH advertising includes branding in shopping malls in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune.
Recently, the brand introduced socially distanced benches for IRL meetings in Bangalore and Goa with the message – “We love healthy boundaries”.
Social Media Marketing
Bumble in India
When
With an aggressive focus on international growth, Bumble was launched in India in December 2018, backed by actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Why
“Archaic gender dynamics and old-fashioned traditions still ruling the dating world. The most traditional mindsets— those markets for us are
completely wide-open areas," Herd remarked, referring to the decision to launch in India
Popularity
Soon after the launch, Bumble became the fourth-most popular dating app by combined monthly active users on iOS and Android phones in India. In India, Bumble has crossed over 4 million users.
In comparison to women users globally, women in India are sending twice the number of messages on Bumble. Also, 32% of women users in India use more than one mode on Bumble. In addition to dating, they use ‘BFF’ and ‘Bizz’ modes as well.
Among the different age groups, the fastest growing one is Gen Z users. Millennials are next in line.
Indian Version of app
The Indian version of the app also comes with a feature where women have the option to only show their initials and not the entire name to avoid cyber-stalking. Some other features include a private detector which blocks the sharing on unsolicited images.
What do the numbers have to say?
USA, UK, China market is going towards saturation but Indian market is the next future, in next 3 years.
According to the Indian market, 67% of graduates under the age 18-28, 27% of married people and 42% of females use online dating sites. With these numbers, we can say online dating is becoming the new hot sector, not only in the worldwide market but also in the Indian market.
It is observed that on average a female user uses 3 to 5 apps simultaneously and the male user uses 5 to 7 apps simultaneously
There are nearly three times as many men as women on online dating platforms in India.
The survey added that Pune has the highest number of single Indians (37 percent) who are ready to travel within the city to meet
someone in-person, followed by Kolkata (33 percent) and Chennai (32 percent).
Men usually spend more time on dating apps when compared to women, since they tend to chat with multiple women at a time.
However women limit their conversations to two to three men only at any given point of time.
Customer Profile
We conducted a User Study to draw our Customer Profiles
Demographics
Age: 18-28
Gender: Female, Male, Gender Fluid
Area: Metro Cities
Relation Status: Single, Prefer not to say, Complicated.
Motivation
- Felt pressured by her social group and was looking for self validation.
- Felt lonely in the lockdown. Wanted to explore casual dating.
- Looking for something serious but also curious about dating
- Sense of adventure and Curiosity. Friends suggested to try the app
Lifestyle/Personality
Income: 3 lakhs and above
Work Habit: Healthy work life Balance;
Busy schedule but can take out some time
Introverted/ Extroverted, Spontaneous/ Organized
Thinker/ Feeler, Sensors/ Intuitives
Pain points
- Felt less in control, feels often burnt out and overwhelmed.
- Often feel anxious when he gets no replies
- Tends to take Control, which is why she is more burderned due to starting conversations
- Occasionally felt anxious. Didn’t like Bumble’s preference for appearance focus
P R E M I S E
Vision
Aim at existing User Retention
Aim at expanding our market in Indian youth
Mission
To enhance the experience of existing Bumble users
To reach out to the Indian youth by getting rid of taboos against online dating
Goal
To design and iterate on certain app features for better user experience.
To form an effective marketing strategy that increases awareness and reduces taboo by targeting potential users.
PESTEL Analysis
Political
Views of the ruling party on Foreign Businesses
Political Ideology might not match what the app has to offer
Effect of an individual’s political beliefs on interaction on the app
Technological
Safety through Technology
Smartphone Reach in India
Economic
Effect of Poverty and Unemployment in India affecting the Business
India’s revenue in Online Dating Market
Region Specific Progress based on development
Ethical
People’s Consent while putting on different modes on Bumble
CSR and Philanthropic activities by Bumble
Dating Algorithm
Socio- Cultural
Indian Cultural Norms and Values
Cultural Diversity in India and different religious norms
Legal
Legal Framework regulating dating apps in India
Marketing Policy of Dating Apps in India
Policies for Women, LGBTQ+
Communities
Ansoff Matrix
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weakness
Opportunities
Threats
- Has features that ensures a healthy crowd
- Provides multiple modes such as Bizz, BFF, dating and allows you to use them independently
- Few approaches and strategies empower women
- Doesn’t have enough conversation starter features which is why people get exhausted soon and leave the app
- General perception amongst novel users is
negative - people find the app users desperate
and creepy
- App structure causes individuals to feel burnt out and overwhelmed.
- The appearance focus approach is not acceptible to some users.
- Hinge has better features for goodwill and humanity that attracts a better crowd - meaningful approach
- In the Indian Scenario, there is a deep inbuilt issue of taboo and trust against online dating
- Users are mostly not brand loyal and often jump off to other dating apps
- The woman first approach while starting a conversation can be more flexbile which can help take off the burden from the female users.
- Marketing is restricted to influential personalities in India and has scope for improvement.
- The structure of appearance focused approach could be changed.
Redefining P R E M I S E
Retention
How can we prevent existing users of the Bumble application from leaving the application due to feelings of overwhelm and increased burn out
Expansion
How can we expand Bumble’s current user base by reaching out to the potential audience by establishing trust through effective marketing and outreach strategies
Strategising
While I have some honey, let's also see what strategy plans we have for Bumble!
Marketing Plan
The 4W's
What
For increased awareness about dating in order to eradicate the taboo as well as to increase user acquisition
When
Throughout the year with specific motive of user acquisition
During holidays and festivals, make use of Seasonal Prospects
Why
Our outreach is limited to the existing users of Bumble
There is little personal connection to the current marketing strategy due to celebrity promotions
Who
The youth population that hasn’t been reached out to yet
Adults who should learn about the positive propositions of Bumble to increase acceptability and awareness
SHORT TERM Q3 FY 2021
Interactive Elements
Problem Area
monotonous conversations, overwhelm and burn out
Spin the Wheel
There could be a spin-the-wheel conversation starter template that allows them to find questions/topics to discuss
Fortune Cookies and Easter Eggs
Just like it’s conversations game, it could introduce fortune cookies to help matches break the ice and have conversations.
Easter eggs hidden in the other individuals profile that are only revealed after a specific time once the conversation begins.
Get-to-know-me
There could be a gamified conversation feature present on the app, which will remove the monotony from the conversations. This should have a group feature where in your friends can also join the game. Thus combining date and bff experience of Bumble.
Marketing and Events
Problem Area
Interactive marketing and events to extend outreach
Festival Marketing -
Write an anonymous letter
Introduce special marketing activities during popular holidays and festivals. For eg, introduce write a secret santa letter to your match or send them an anonymous note
Digital Presence and Events
Increase the marketing through Television and OTT collaborations and YouTube ads especially during festival periods.
Market BFF and Bizz vastly in India so that individuals break the first wall by joining the app through atleast one option
Make Instagram marketing more interactive by introducing quizzes and stories like - ‘who is your dating type’
Key Benefits
More exciting offers in comparison to other competitors
More gamification could make the process fun and reduce the burden on the conversation.
Success Metrics/KPI's
Lesser user dropoff
Longer conversations
Increased likelihood of starting the conversation
Increased App downloads by newer users
Increased word of mouth marketing
MID TERM Q3 FY 2021
Field Marketing and Campaigns
Problem Area
Interactive marketing and events to extend outreach
Micro-Influencer Marketing
Get in touch with micro-influencers and campus ambassadors in India who can hype Bumble within their communities and campuses
Through these collaborations introduce community events such as Scavenger Hunts, Tandem Cycling etc.
Increase the discussions that take place around the concept of dating and reduce the taboo through such field events
Key Benefits
Field marketing can help reach out to untapped audiences that have great potential
Seeing peers interested in the app can reduce guilt, taboos and discomfort related to dating
Success Metrics/KPI's
Increased App downloads by newer users
Increased word of mouth marketing
Increased reach for the app in local communities
An increased trust would become evident in the apps offerings
LONG TERM Q1 Q2 FY 2022
Redefining the Algorithm
Problem Area
Better Suggestions for Matches with an improved algorithm
Algorithm for Serious Dating
Bumble could offer options for both casual dating and serious dating that go beyond the geolocation algorithm
They could allow users to toggle between the two and increase possibility of finding new people by identifying the individuals preferences and needs
This could be done through interactive moodboards and mind mapping where the user connects the dots between what makes an ideal partner for them
More Meaningful Connection
Problem Area
Engaging, meaningful and interactive conversations
Meaningful Connections
Can introduce features that allow individual to connect at deeper levels through shared interests in music, shows, art, etc
Could do further collaborations with apps such as Spotify, Netflix, etc to allow them to bond over shared interests
Key Benefits
Serious Dating is a space Bumble could greatly benefit in.
This could also bring in new individuals looking for serious dating.
Success Metrics/KPI's
Increased app downloads
Longer conversations
Increased user retention
It could make the match making process more accurate
Future
Scope
Before I leave, look at what more we can look at in future!
Conduct Research
Are women overwhelmed by the burden of starting the conversation?
Study the current users in different segments and identify their pains.
Introduce a feature that allows women to transfer rights to men when they wish to and test it with a focus group to weigh outcomes
Are people bothered by the importance given to appearance on the app?
Study the problems individuals state for the match making process. Study what they look at when they match with someone
Introduce a tab in the app that puts together profiles through their bios only where appearance becomes secondary and is only made visible after clicking. Test it with a focus group
Expanding usage of technology
AI is one of the most emerging technologies. We can explore in mapping down the algorithms which would help to understand users' preferences, interests and behaviours. This can allow for more precise matches.
We can explore AI in engaging conversations for the users. to avoid ghosting which is frequent patten observed on dating applications. Bumble can introduce something like 'Bumble Bee' which can be their AI assistant to help them through conversations and send in prompt to engage users and move a step forward building meaningful conversations.
Competitive Advantage
Through the introduction of these strategies we may have the following advantages over out competitors
More meaningful conversations that make people want to use the app
More offline presence and increased word of mouth marketing
Ideally the least amount of drop off due to overwhelm and burn out
Gamified and engaging interactive elements that are more exciting
Ideally the least amount of drop off due to overwhelm and burn out
Gamified and engaging interactive elements that are more exciting
Competitive Advantage
Through the introduction of these strategies we may have the following advantages over out competitors
More meaningful conversations that make people want to use the app
More offline presence and increased word of mouth marketing
Ideally the least amount of drop off due to overwhelm and burn out
Gamified and engaging interactive elements that are more exciting
Ideally the least amount of drop off due to overwhelm and burn out
Gamified and engaging interactive elements that are more exciting
Final Note
Compared to other projects or courses, this particular project stood out. There was a new term which was introduced and as much as curious I was, it was equally interesting and nervous to explore it. The concepts and thought process required through out the project was different and gradually realised that it's important as a designer to even explore such routes while building a design.
Bumble is considered as a safe and trustworthy dating application among young adults. Bumble's success stories are often shared through their social media driving users to use the application. While dating in India is slowly picking up pace, Bumble can explore various opportunities to grow in the country. Through this project, the aim was to explore how Bumble is perceived, how they market and how through our design explorations we recommend ideas for them to retain their users and also help expand their user growth through an Indian perspective.
Thank-you
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