Does Tinder's content initiative gel well with Indian culture?

Tinder India has recently collaborated with influencers to launch a content-driven campaign that talks about what dating is like in 2020. Nudged by a video prompt from the brand, the influencers have put up their own little clips that largely present light-hearted takes on the topic.

You might ask yourself how relevant such a campaign is to Indian youth who, now more than ever, studying and working from home, are pinned down by their elders’ watchful eye. You’d be surprised.

On May 3 this year, Tinder users in India “sent an average of 60% more messages vs. the start of lockdowns in early March — above the global average” i.e. 52%. Even before usage increased with the pandemic, Tinder had reported “7.5 million daily swipes in the country, and the highest average number of messages exchanged per match in the world. Cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurugram figured in its 10 most super-liked markets globally for the year of 2018.”

These stats can be read as a reflection of the sudden sense of release and agency the youth feel through an app like Tinder. In a country where parents determinedly participate in their children’s love lives and vigilante groups hound couples on Valentine’s Day, it makes sense for large numbers to flock to a safe dating platform.

But for an alien import like Tinder to be assimilated, the platform needs to feed on more than just the desire for privacy. It needs to root itself in culture more meaningfully, where it can convincingly embody the progressive outlook to dating in India.

That’s where Tinder has suitably brought in their recent content-led initiative which can organically introduce definitions of modern love and dating while subtly tying back to the brand.

Dating = ___________?  What are Tinder and its influencers’ definition of dating for the young Indian?

Right off the bat, dating is not serious business. Careful selection and well-weighed decisions are the preserve of matrimonial sites and apps. Here, your match may not be the result of an intended right swipe but of frustrated vigorous tapping on your frozen phone screen.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Nick (@beyounick) on Sep 30, 2020 at 10:41am PDT

But it's not all casual all the time either. You may not need to show your sincerity by sitting down to discuss prospects with their parents over chai, but you are expected to engage him/her in honest conversation that helps you find points of similarity and shared interests, and approach the activity with a visible degree of commitment. Conversation and sharing lies at the heart of Indian dating in 2020.  No wonder Indians topped the message exchange on Tinder, compared to the rest of the world.

Modern love also means acceptance. So shed your heteronormative thinking and learn to welcome couples of all orientations because the dating scene doesn’t discriminate.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dolly Singh (@dollysingh) on Sep 30, 2020 at 11:54pm PDT

With modernity also comes a pragmatic approach to sexual relations. But the influencers in our selection of content only make subtle references to it. One puns by asking “is it wet?”, a question that cuts to their partner working on a painting, and another talks about “giving your flower” and immediately holds up an actual flower to clear any doubts.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by R A D H I K A (@radhika_bangia) on Oct 1, 2020 at 4:47am PDT

Even though put together for laughs, the underlying message is clear: dating is interlinked with sex but since we’re not a sexually permissive culture, we’re yet to become comfortable with overtly acknowledging it. 

This cultural traditionality also shows in the influencers’ recognition of their parents’ continuous presence in the background of their dating lives. While one mother rushes into her daughter’s room mid-date to ensure she’s social distancing, another threatens her daughter’s date with a chappal when he tries to be flirty.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by RJ Abhinav (@rjabhinavv) on Oct 1, 2020 at 9:34pm PDT

With all these ideas to keep in mind, it makes sense that influencers also interpret modern dating as an activity you need guidance through. Here’s one that spoofs matchmaker Sima aunty while giving tips on how best to navigate a date in 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by M A L L I K A D U A (@mallikadua) on Sep 30, 2020 at 4:55am PDT

Do such branded efforts make sense?

The information revolution from the West has introduced us to modernised thinking at a rapid speed. Platforms like Netflix and Tinder have pushed us to juggle polar ideas resulting in a conflict between what we aspire to and what we’re actually comfortable with.

‘I like the idea of ending up married to a Tinder date but I would never reveal that story to my children,’ says one respondent in a street interview conducted by BeingIndian. ‘I wouldn’t introduce my kids to Tinder because I don’t want to spoil them,’ expresses another.

Indian youth may have quickly taken to the platform but there’s still a long a way to go with bridging the gap between their traditional upbringing and the bold ways of living they’ve been suddenly exposed to.

Faced with such a challenge, advertising by itself poses a weak solution. You can’t get people to buy into an idea just by making the product available. Any brand like Tinder also needs content to reshape consumers’ minds.

Digital platforms have given brands the opportunity to actively and consciously act as an instigator and change maker of popular culture. No longer restricted to traditional forms of media, they have the chance to become active participants in shaping culture to support their agenda.

Content-driven opportunities in this arena are undoubtedly the way ahead.