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Presenter: Kathryn Elizabeth Iacomini

Group Members: Tyler Stephan

Faculty Sponsor: Anurag Sharma

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Business & Economics

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, Auditorium, A76

ABSTRACT

In recent years, dating has become digital and less intimate, with dating apps like Hinge, Tinder, and Bumble gaining millions of users both in the United States and globally. The online dating market is expected to be between 15-30 billion dollars by 2032. These apps have become particularly common on college campuses as the wide variety of dating apps have provided students with an avenue that suits their relationship needs. While college students are swiping for love, we aim to determine if these apps truly are meeting the changing expectations and desires of UMass students. Our research will investigate how Match Group and other companies specifically are positioned to meet UMass Amherst students dating preferences. Our research will be conducted through campus surveys and interviews to understand the population data. We will also be looking at financial statements from the public companies to understand their financial health and success within the market space. We aim to understand from UMass students' perspectives what they are looking for when it comes to finding a partner and comparing those trends with how the large dating apps are positioned in the market. Upon our research last semester we have a firm understanding that Match Group and Bumble are positioned well by the standards of market share, but we aim to understand if their products are truly aligned with UMass students.