Marketing Analysis of Bumble: Strategies and Consumer Behavior

This project provides a comprehensive marketing analysis of Bumble, a prominent dating and social networking application. It delves into Bumble's marketing mix, including product offerings (Bumble Date, BFF, and Bizz), pricing strategies (freemium model, in-app purchases, and subscriptions), and promotional activities, including social media campaigns and Bumble Hive events. The analysis extends to the application of PESTLE factors, consumer behavior, service blueprint, and a detailed examination of Bumble's competitors and their impact. The project also explores the socio-economic characteristics of Bumble users, data privacy considerations, and ethical implications within the dating landscape. It concludes with recommendations for future marketing strategies and potential improvements to the user experience, drawing on interviews and sentiment analysis of user reviews to understand motivations and customer journeys. The report offers insights into Bumble's successful marketing campaigns and provides a three-stage service model of service consumption to enhance understanding of the platform.

Contributions
Topic POC
Marketing Strategy of Bumble Archit+Sudhindra
PESTLE, cosumer behaviour of Bumble Users Archit
Industry growth and competitors, impact of competitors Anshul+Pranav
Customer segments/business models from which growth comes in the future vs those that attract now Ankur +Nikhil
4Ps applied to Bumble Sudhindra+Archit
data privacy, fairness and ethics Anshul+Pranav
service failures, potential fail points, quality enhancing points Ankur +Nikhil
pricing model of Bumble Anshul+Pranav
Service process blueprint/flowchart Archit+Sudhindra
Successful marketing campaigns and reasons for success Anshul+Pranav
Sentiment Analysis of tweets Nikhil
Sentiment Analysis of Customer Reviews Nikhil
Interviews of users, non-users to understand motivation of using dating applications, customer journey Nikhil +Sudhindra
Socio-Economic characteristics of users Nikhil
Three stage service model of service consumption Sudhindra

Table of Contents
Contributions ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgement................................................................................................................................................ 4
About Bumble Inc................................................................................................................................................. 5
Product Offerings ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Bumble’s Marketing Mix ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Product .............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Price................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Place .................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Promotions ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Bumble Three Stage Model .............................................................................................................................. 11
1. Pre-Purchase Stage ............................................................................................................................. 11
2. Service Encounter ................................................................................................................................ 11
3. Post Purchase stage ............................................................................................................................ 11
How Bumble makes money .............................................................................................................................. 12
Bumble Boost ................................................................................................................................................. 13
Courting Success with Social Media Marketing ............................................................................................ 13
Marketing Strategy for Bumble ........................................................................................................................ 16
Current Trends ............................................................................................................................................... 17
Political ............................................................................................................................................................ 17
Environment ................................................................................................................................................... 17
Social ............................................................................................................................................................... 17
Technological ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Economical ..................................................................................................................................................... 17
Legal ................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Consumer Behaviour of Bumble Users ...................................................................................................... 18
Service Blueprint for Bumble ............................................................................................................................ 19
Bumble App User Interface .......................................................................................................................... 19
Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................ 22
The dating landscape: an Indian perspective ................................................................................................ 23
Competitors, Big and Small ......................................................................................................................... 23
What They Do: The Impact of Competitors ............................................................................................... 24
All Should Be Fair in Love and… Data Ethics ........................................................................................... 25
Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................. 26
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Learnings............................................................................................................................................................. 27
Appendix 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 28
Decoding the Demographics ....................................................................................................................... 28
Appendix 2 .......................................................................................................................................................... 33
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................................... 34

Acknowledgement
We would like to place on record our gratitude for Prof. Meenakshi Nagarajan, Professor, IMI
New Delhi, for allowing us this opportunity and her constant support throughout the course of
the project. Without her guidance, this project would not have been possible.
We take this opportunity to thank our colleagues for consenting to give their honest opinions
on certain topics bearing weight on the study, and for helping us improve the quality of this
project with their responses. We are deeply indebted to them.
Finally, we would like to thank our family members and friends for their constant support and
words of encouragement and wisdom that made this project a wonderful journey. We thank
our readers for devoting their time and interest to our project.

About Bumble Inc.
Bumble was a result of founder Whitney Wolfe’s
sharp and stinging observation of the prevalent way
people dated around the world, especially online.
Wolfe saw, much to her chagrin, that even in 2014,
all the modern, independent women she knew
waited for men to ask them out or start a
conversation on social media or on an app. What
may seem only good convention to some, felt like a
caustic mockery of all the tall claims of women
empowerment and gender equality to Wolfe.
Wolfe knew that social media platforms allowed
connections, but only with known people, and
lacked proper scaffolding to safely function in lieu of
dating apps. She believed the skewed gender
dynamics of dating needed some good shaking.
And that’s what she gave them, after she launched
the world’s first “ladies first” online dating app,
Bumble.
Six years later, Bumble has grown into a vast
community of 100 million-strong and counting, with approximately 1.5 billion first moves made
over the same course. The app’s claim to fame can very comfortably be ascribed to its most
important feature: it only allows women to make the first move in any connection. The app is
totally women-centric, and built to empower women and make online dating safe and
comfortable for them. This does not compromise the dating experience of the male users in
any way.
Product Offerings
Bumble currently operates three service formats: Bumble BFF, Bumble Bizz and Bumble
Dating. Dating is like any other dating app, save the women-first feature. BFF and Bizz are
ingenious modes of connecting that allow users to develop friendly or even professional
networking connections, which may manifest into partnerships later.
Bumble operates on the popular Freemium business model. Premium users get to subscribe
to Bumble Boost and Bumble Premium, which provides them with additional handy and
interesting features like Beeline, Rematch and Extend which make their journey of connecting
with people a wholesome and memorable experience. It further drives conversion from free to
paid users through additional in-app purchases like SuperSwipe, Spotlight, Travel and
Backtrack[1].
Bumble has a healthy financial condition, with the figures showing promise. Bumble app
revenue increased by 55% to $127.2 million worldwide, while it added 20% more paying users
in the second quarter of 2021 than 2020, pushing the total to 2.9 million. Total “Average
Revenue Per Paying User” (ARPPU) increased to $20.88 in 2021, compared to $18.12 the
same time last year.
Figure 0-1: Bumble founder, Whitney Wolfe

Figure 0-2: Paying Users and ARPPU
As defined by Bumble, a Bumble Paying User is a user who has purchased or renewed a
Bumble subscription plan and/or made other in-app purchases.
Bumble bases its performance and success
of marketing efforts on a variety of third-
party publishers and platforms who
indirectly influence and control the
marketing initiatives of the company through
their policies. If these publishers change or
interfere with the ways of distribution
followed by Bumble by prohibiting or limiting
the marketing of its products, it could have a
noticeable adverse effect on the business
and operation of the company.
Besides the Bumble app and its three
modes of connecting, Bumble also
organizes social gatherings and
conventions which it calls “Bumble Hive”.
These gatherings are fun and sparkly
platforms for guests. The main attractions are entertainment, snacks and drinks, and
interesting interactive discussions with influencers and entrepreneurs.
A sample program schedule would usually look like:
Program Overview: Week of April 17 through April 21
Weekly: Honeydrop lemonade, ROAR organic drinks, jams from Sonos, and Boxed Water.
This is the FINAL week at the Hive. We’re so grateful to everyone who has visited thus far. For future
LA events, Hives and for all our city-based events, check our Facebook events page here.
This week, look forward to programming that will support start-ups, side-hustlers, and those looking for
corporate advice. There will also be weekly “profile doctoring” from HR and career coaches. Stay tuned
for more!
Tuesday, April 17: Work from the Hive + PRACTICE YOUR PITCH
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Come network, co-work, meet your matches, or just come hang out at the Hive!
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Pitch Practice
Bumble Hives are an integral part of Bumble’s product offerings. Though not paid for or used
by users in the traditional sense of consuming services, these events and fests create
awareness about Bumble and its products, facilitate creation of communication and buzz
Key Operating Metrics
Bumble App Paying Users 1,473 1,079
Badoo App and Other Paying Users 1,454 1,353
Total Paying Users 2,927 2,432
Bumble App Average Revenue per Paying User $ 28.81 $ 25.4
Badoo App and Other Average Revenue per Paying User$ 12.85 $ 12.32
Total Average Revenue per Paying User $ 20.88 $ 18.12
Three Months
Ended
June 30, 2021
Three Months
Ended
June 30, 2020
(In thousands, except ARPPU)
Figure 0-3: Bumble Hive in LA, California

around them, and ensure that the company stays in the consideration set of customers. They
also help increase the brand recall of Bumble.
Bumble’s Marketing Mix
The marketing mix of Bumble can be expanded as follows:
Product
1. A mobile application and website meant for dating and social networking
2. Allows users to match other people in their area. This can either be for a date, a friendly
hangout or a professional meet-up.
3. The product itself, be it the website or application, provides three modes of usage for
its users:
a. Bumble date: The users match with potential romantic partners for going out
on a date with them. Here, it is the women who make the first move, unlike their
competitors like, Tinder.
b. Bumble BFF: This mode allows the user to find and match with other users in
their area, solely for making new friends and acquaintances.
c. Bumble Bizz: This is solely used for networking for business purposes.
4. All the three modes can be used simultaneously with nobody being restricted to using
just one, or cancelling the subscription of one mode to enter into another.
5. The working of the product itself can be explained as follows:
a. A person swipes right on a person’s profile he/she likes. This is true for all the
three modes, though the purpose for swiping right varies across these variants.
b. It is only when there are two mutual right swipes that lead to a match.
c. In the case of a match, and if it is a heterosexual couple, it the woman who
needs to start the conversation within 24 hours of matching. In the case of
homosexual couples, though, anybody has the freedom to message first. The
recipient of text too needs to respond to the text within 24 hours of receiving it,
else the match expires.
6. The main purpose of keeping such a tight deadline after a match has been made,
unlike its main competitors like Tinder, is that it emboldens its users to make a match
almost immediately, leading to a higher rate of post-match conversations.
7. The product functions on the brand’s core belief of challenging the mainstream
ideology that it is the men who are given the responsibility of starting the conversation.
Women empowerment is the product’s main motto.

Figure 0-1: Product Interface, and how matching works
Price
1. The Bumble application, or logging into a profile via the website, are free to use.
Anybody can download the application or simply register themselves on the website
or the application without having to pay anything. This is a Point-of-Parity between
Bumble and its competitors.
2. Bumble’s business model entails three sources of revenue:
a. Freemium model: Users can join for free and start matching. However, to
make the most of the application, a person needs to shell out money, as it is
only then he/she won’t be limited by the number of profiles he/she can see
along with being uncertain about who has swiped right for them and who hasn’t.
b. Optional in-app purchases for advanced features: The advanced features
usually include:
i. Premium Features: Bumble offers several special features which
enhance a user’s experience. This includes SuperSwipes and Spotlight.
The former lets the other person know that someone is extra interested
in them. In the latter, it allows the users to put their profile at the top of
the stack of profiles, so that more people will view their profile and thus
increase the chances of matching with a “suitable partner”. Users also
have the option to extend a match by 24 hours, on top of the default 24

hours. This feature signifies that you’re especially interested in the other
person. Non-Bumble Boost members can only buy this feature once per
day, and no users can extend the same match more than once. Bumble
Coins can be used to purchase any of these features, either for one or
multiple uses, or you can gain access to these features through a
Bumble Boost subscription.
c. Subscription model: Here, subscription model, like Bumble Boost
membership gives the users the following advanced features:
i. Look at all those who have swiped right on the profile
ii. Ability to rematch with expired connections
iii. Extend an unlimited number of matches beyond the 24 hours
deadline
With Bumble Coins, you can send Super Swipes to make a bold first impression
and activate Spotlight to maximize your profile views.
Moreover, the costs for the Bumble Boost vary according to the duration of the
subscription, with a larger duration pack being economical for the consumer.
The subscription packs are as follows:
Table 1: Bumble Subscription Details
Pack duration Rate
1 week 319/-
1 month 849/-
3 months 1698/- per month
6 months 2700/- per month
Place
The application is available from the app store/play store along with users being able to login
using the website. It was observed that the total paying users of the “application” increased by
30% to 2.8 million with an average revenue per user being recorded a $19.99.
The downloads on play store, which is currently at 10 million+, is set to increase further, with
people getting vaccinated and governments opening the economy.
Promotions
Bumble checked all the right boxes while trying to market and promote its product offering.
The following are the steps it took:
1. Having a persuasive value proposition: This can be seen from the fact that the
company has not shifted from its core value proposition of “empowering women”. This
has led to a major success for the brand, with it also leveraging this during its
promotional events.
2. Leveraging experiential marketing: Bumble Hive has allowed the brand to bring
together leading thinkers, artists and entrepreneurs in order to celebrate the concept
of “women empowerment”. This method allowed Bumble to interact directly with its
users which further allowed them to find aspects which they can refine in their
application.
Apart from doing all this, the company invested heavily in social media, as it was prominently
focussing on this platform for ensuring that Bumble becomes synonymous with the concept of
the “dating application and more” segment. Withing the social media marketing activities, the
company carries out the following activities:

1. Running multiple accounts on social media platforms and offering fun and
interactive content on all these accounts: Over Heard Bumble is the social media
account where the company posts its user’s app conversations screenshots, along
with posting dating quotes and other stuff. All while following proper branding
guidelines throughout its social media page presence, i.e., keeping its colour scheme
Yellow in sync with its brand icon colour. Bumble makes its users send their app chats
with them and post it on their page. It becomes a great way to engage with existing
users on social media while also attracting non-users who check these posts to
download the application and experience the Bumble way of doing things.
2. Social Media Campaigns: All of its social media campaigns are in-line with the
brand’s core values, i.e., “women empowerment”. One of the campaigns it released
was #HowWeEqual which was to push for equality in a relationship. Another campaign
it started was #DatingJustGotEqual. This is a good example of cause marketing as not
only is the brand spreading awareness about the problems in a society, it is also
spreading awareness about the services it is offering. The campaigns gained further
momentum when many influencers and celebrities joined the fray, the tour de force
being Priyanka Chopra joining and fuelling the discussion (who is also their brand
ambassador).
Yet another popular campaign the brand launched in the recent past was “Love will
find a way”. This was to highlight the importance of romance, hope and resilience
needed to survive during extended periods of lockdown and disconnection from near
and dear ones.
3. YouTube and Influencer/Micro Influencer Marketing: Similar to its social media
campaigns, the company engages users and non-users on its YouTube page too, by
offering video content on dating tips, campaign commercial and other types of content
in-line with dating and relationships. More recently, a talk show called “Dating these
days” was launched by the company, with the series inviting famous personalities like
actors (Neena Gupta or Sanya Malhotra) to influencers and micro influencers.
4. Event marketing: Bumble has been the title sponsor for many social events, which is
highly apropos of its core function: connecting people.

Bumble Three Stage Model
People interviewed for understanding consumer journey: Karan Saxena, Ananya Aggarwal,
Karan Shukla.
The three-stage model is one which maps a consumer’s journey. The following aspects form
a part of this model:
1. Pre-Purchase Stage : The pre-purchase stage witnesses a need arousal, which
can be either due to internal, external, or situational factors. In the case of dating
applications, like Bumble, the need arousal usually tends to be internal and external
factors. Internal reasons can include factors like the need to be involved with someone
romantically or simply the feeling of loneliness as he/she might be living in some other
state away from family and friends. At the same time, there are external factors, like
influence of their reference groups (they are a part of and they aspire to be), which
coerces them into choosing a dating application in order to have a point-of-parity with
their reference group members.
Once the need arousal takes place, the next thing involves browsing through various
alternatives which are present in the market. The consideration set usually involves all
the brands which a consumer knows about. Here, after telephonic interactions with
some respondents, it can be observed that the consideration set usually involves
application like Happn, Bumble, Tinder, TrulyMadly, Okcupid and Aisle. However, to
the evoked set only Bumble and Tinder made it. The brands in the evoked set were
found to be high on user base of each gender, features offered and the price for add-
on features and subscription packs. Moreover, the usage of the application by the
reference group people belong to or aspire to be a part of along with the celebrity
endorser of the brand also plays a major role in determining the application so chosen.
However, some do end up not choosing to use these applications as they tend to view
these as unhelpful or sceptical of the authenticity of the applications so chosen.
2. Service Encounter: The moments of truth in this stage usually include how much
information is the application taking during the initial stages of setting up the account,
the algorithm it uses to accurately match users on the basis of the information they
enter in the initial set-up of the application and the overall convenience of using the
application, i.e., how well is it designed and whether information can be easily updated
on a regular basis. These usually remain the same across the various brands there
are in the market due to which all the respondents, barring one, have always chosen
two or more of these dating applications (Bumble was common amongst all the
respondents, irrespective of their gender).
3. Post Purchase stage : The satisfaction post consumption of the service being
offered depends on various aspects:
a. Whether they were able to match with the suitable someone
b. Authenticity of the profiles on the application
c. Did the subscription or add-on services increase the frequency of them
matching with someone, i.e., whether the money spent was worth it or not.
d. Their experience with the people they meet online (if the experience is bad with
the users of that application, the general outlook towards that application tends
to be negative)
People tend to leave a dating app due to either of two major reasons:

1. They find a match so decide to leave the app
2. They don’t get any match even after spending a considerable amount of time, hence
leave the app
A marketing implication which can be derived from these points is that the company needs to
ensure that the second type of consumers get some incentive to come back to using their
application. Either providing a week’s subscription free or providing add-on services or
promoting their profile for a week after they re-join can be done to ensure that there is positive
WOM in the market regarding the brand.
Figure 2: Bumble Business Model
How Bumble makes money
• Freemium model
• Optional in-app purchases for advanced features
• Subscription model
Membership Type Membership Length Membership Cost
Basic Unlimited Free
Premium Weekly $12.99
Premium Monthly $22.99
Premium 3 months $46.99
Premium Lifetime $139.99
Boost 1 week $5.99
Boost 1 month $9.99
Boost 3 months $19.99 total
Boost 6 months $33.99 total
Spotlights 1x $5.99 each
Spotlights 5x $2.60 each
Spotlights 15x $2.00 each
Spotlights 30x $1.67 each