Why is Every Dating App Launching a Print Publication?

Did Feeld copy Hinge's marketing strategy?

In Today’s Newsletter

• Did a kinky dating app copy Hinge’s marketing strategy?

• SNL goes TikTok

• How David protein took over your FYP

• New York’s retail revival

• Chick Fil A’s Streaming Platform

• Finally, a new cool pair of Salomon’s

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Did this Kinky Dating App Steal Hinge’s Swag?

• The New York Times has an article out this morning about Feeld, a dating app for kinkier individuals— seeking out threesomes, freak-offs, and even no sex at all.

• Feeld hosted a party on the Upper East Side, bringing together New York’s literary scene (Emma Cline, Candace Bushnell, and *checks notes* Woody Allen) were in attendance to celebrate Feeld’s debut magazine: AFM (A Fucking Magazine)

• Feeld is launching this bi-annual print publication, edited by Haley Mlotek and Maria Dimitrova, to bring together writers and essayists to offer a physical distillation of Feeld’s brand.

• They join a number of big brands making an investment in print despite our rapid shift to a 100% digital world. (think J. Crew bringing back their catalog)

• Feeld’s CEO said—

“AFM is a part of our ever evolving vision for human connections. Feeld was founded with the intention to transcend conventional relationship frameworks and identities and embrace a more fluid, non-prescriptive approach to humans, to ourselves and how we connect. By exploring the tangible realm of analog in a variety of ways from our Feeld Socials to, now, AFM, we’re offering new, intimate yet expressive ways to offer perspective and inspire curiosity for ourselves and others,"

• But when looking through this article— it struck me that this feels eerily similar to Hinge’s recent zine, “No Ordinary Love”

• Hinge collaborated with Dazed Magazine to compile 80 pages of writing on the real, sometimes complicated facets of new romance

• Hinge’s CMO said—

“The beginning of most relationships are often not like the kind you see celebrated by rom-coms and pop culture. At Hinge, we believe in showing the honest journeys of real couples as they create intentional and caring relationships”

• So in 2024, two dating apps are investing big into print publications backed by legacy media stalwarts.

• At least neither of these are as bad as Bumble’s relaunch earlier this year, but its begs the question— Have we lost the plot?

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SNL Goes TikTok