Under The Microscope: Thursday dating app

Thursday dating app: What’s the hype about?

The wonderful world of dating has progressed leaps and bounds, eradicating the inevitable anxiety sweats of actually having to approach someone in person (god forbid), providing us with a whole new digital world that’s all accessible by phone. Now we have apps. Our thumbs have well and truly been exercised by swiping, and we’ve seen the revolutionary take by Bumble where it’s the gals that approach the guys. And this is all now done from the comfort of your own sofa. 

If you think that’s all that tech dating has to offer, think again. Enter Thursday (who you may have previously known as Honeypot). It’s fair to say that they’ve really stepped up their game, but with yet another relationship phenomenon to add to the list, how can we possibly decide on which app to use to meet our future beau? The fact that the app comes alive only on a Thursday (given the name) pretty much answers that question.

Matt McNeill Love, Thursday’s co-founder and COO, summarises what their dating app sets out to change: 

“We just cut out really boring sort of, ‘Hey, how are you’ conversations that go on for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time…

“We just condense all of that into one day. It encourages people to act and go grab a drink after work.”

In summary, gone are the days of small talk, along with the overwhelming urge to ‘put yourself out there’, always feeling like you’re waiting for the next quick fling to come along. Thursday is all about building genuine connections that you should definitely waste no time in meeting up with, whilst appreciating single life for the other six days. 

After discovering that gap in the market, converting thousands to become loyal customers takes work. Thursday dating app has done just this, with an all round head-turning digital marketing strategy, leading them to surpass 100,000 members. They’re not stopping there either, making going viral seem like a piece of cake, with the total number of users predicted to rise to 500,000 over the coming months. Let’s delve into why they’re society’s newest heartthrob…

Contents: 

• Utilising other brands 
• Disruptive marketing 
• Unique messaging 
• Sticking to a theme 
• Advertising – intern on the streets
• Why does it work? 
• What can we learn? 

Utilising other brands

It may seem like a risky game to incorporate your competitors into your marketing strategy, but Thursday uses the big names to their advantage. Their immaculate sense of humour has certainly won over their audience, using the traditional marketing tactic of capturing attention of potential users on the move through the use of big, pink billboards. Ultimately, your target audience is looking for someone they can trust and relate to, which is why getting your tone of voice spot on is the route to success. Thursday knows exactly who they are appealing to, understanding that their audience would appreciate the tongue-in-cheek style of tonality, unafraid to address their competition. 

Disruptive marketing

Thursday breaks the rules of conventional marketing by challenging the norm to create an unforgettable brand. It’s clear that they’re aware of a gap in the market, and have jumped on it without any hesitation. Everyone has probably used a dating app at some point in their life, but most probably won’t feel as though their aims are being truly understood. When looking at all of the marketing campaigns that Thursday have released, it’s evident that they want to make a personal connection with their audience, to the point where it almost feels as though you’re conversing with a familiar face. They aren’t afraid to swear and raise their feminist views, or their opinions about mental health, but given the context and their brand’s motives, they’re able to carry a powerful message perfectly. 

Unique messaging

Uniqueness sells, especially when there’s a sea of competition out there. As we discussed previously, Thursday had Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and plenty of other dating platforms to stand out against, so it’s fair to say they had a mammoth task on their hands. They were able to recognise a common issue amongst dating app users; swiping fatigue. With this in mind, Thursday’s founders sought to bring something different and refreshing to the table, being that the app lies dormant for all but one day of the week. Users are actively encouraged to “celebrate single”, getting on with their daily lives until date night comes around. Although it may seem like a surprising message for a dating app to put across, where Thursday is concerned, it actually works. 

Sticking to a theme

Every Pinterest addict loves a bit of millennial pink, so if this sounds like you, heading over to Thursday’s Instagram page will definitely be worth your while. Sporting a clean design that’s easy on the eyes, their rising follower count is easily justifiable. Each of their social media accounts consistently keeps up with this running theme, leading their audience to slowly make the connection between a simple colour and a brand. Next time you spot a millennial pink napkin at a restaurant, maybe it’s just Thursday trying to tell you something…?

Advertising – intern on the streets

If you happen to spot a millennial pink top coming towards you in the street, it may well be a Thursday intern. Whether it be enticing passersby with a date (quite literally), being tied to a pole in celebration of #cuffingseason, or bringing back the walking billboard strapped to masses of pink balloons, it’s fair to say that Thursday isn’t running out of ideas. Not only does this method benefit the intern (they’re paid for their embarrassment, don’t worry), it’s proven to drastically increase user count too. Reports have revealed that each of Thursday’s stunts doubled the average weekly downloads, with some LinkedIn posts receiving more than one million impressions – talk about stand out! 

Why does it work?

Thursday has been able to create a product that sticks in people’s minds, showing an amazing ability to relate to their audience, building up a strong level of trust between brand and consumer. They’re able to maintain this relationship by consistently updating all of their social media pages, finding new memes or trends to hop on, and addressing important issues that are experienced by daters around the globe. This consistency enables their audience to connect a particular colour, or typography style to a brand, proving that sometimes the simplest marketing techniques can make a big difference. It’s clear that they’ve put some serious thought into their buyer profile research, understanding the demographic they’re appealing to and translating this into all aspects of their strategy. 

What can we learn?

So, what can we learn from Thursday dating app’s marketing strategy? As they have proven, your target market should be at the epicentre of everything your brand does, because if your product doesn’t appeal to them, it’s impossible to get far. Once you’ve found a gap in the market and have been able to create an authentic brand identity that aims to tend to the user’s needs, you can start maintaining a long lasting relationship with your consumers. This requires persistence, whether this be building trust through content marketing or using newsjacking to revolve posts around the latest trends. The thought of going viral sounds overwhelming, and often an unachievable task, but if Thursday has taught you anything, it’s that you don’t have to do big expensive stunts to make it happen.

If you’ve been inspired by Thursday’s digital marketing strategy and want to optimise your own, have a chat with our team of friendly professionals today! We can work with you to create an allround show stopping brand that’ll have you climbing the rankings in no time. 

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