AMEC Virtual Summit – Presented by Michael Kaye, Global Communications Manager for OKCupid

Dating apps sit in a hotly contested marketplace, where communications and cut through is critical to success.

In this case study, OkCupid explains how it mines its own data to craft creative, localised and personalised stories that raise brand awareness and perception through media engagement.

At the heart of OkCupid is a rich data resource, which collects data not only from answers to it’s expansive match-making questionnaire, but also from other parts of the business and external resources and reports. Kaye highlights how much data companies sit on, without even knowing it, and the value of insight that they are missing out on as a result.

All strategic decisions at OkCupid are driven by data insights. On the dating app, this means discovering who people authentically are and what matters to them through questions about binge-worthy shows and musical preferences, through to opinions on gun control, political orientation, climate change and more.

But it isn’t just the face value of the questions and responses that OkCupid measures. It monitors which questions people are skipping and which they are paying attention to. Data is used to deliver audience insight, create infographics, blog posts, social and marketing content that they are confident will work in engaging its audience.

Data insight also shapes questionnaire development by prompting questions to be added, revised or removed. And not everyone sees the same questions. As the pandemic progressed, for example, questions evolved to match the situation in each locality. Across customer touch points, language was changed from ‘meet’ to ‘connect’ and channels were used to encourage people to stay home.

The pandemic also prompted the relaunch of OkCupid’s blog, with a data-rich trends post revealing how people were dating during times of coronavirus. Analysis revealed, for example, how virtual communications preferences reveal other characteristics. Did you know that people who message are likely to value astrological compatibility, while those preferring to video chat tend to be most concerned about climate change?

While the media coverage of OkCupid’s communications activity is impressive in itself, the true value to the company is a result of understanding and leveraging the impact of data-driven insight.

And it works! OkCupid makes over 195 million matches each year and is the most mentioned app in the New York Times wedding section.