While online dating was already popular pre-pandemic, Covid-19 saw it evolve into a new norm. Amidst quarantining and social distancing, dating apps emerged as a new way of making social connections.

In Asia however, we found that even young people who displayed confidence in their day-to-day decision making did not feel 'so smart' about asking about dating, even the most basic 101 questions on making new connections. Whilst other "adulting" topics like financial literacy and healthcare protection are actively discussed by brands, no brand had spoken directly to young adult singles about dating etiquette and behaviours... yet.

To normalise online dating amongst newcomers, Tinder sought to be their trusted companion in this journey. Our goal was to empower young adult singles with basic dating app know-how and etiquette, tips and tricks, while highlighting Tinder's commitment to making sure dating is both fun and safe through its new and improved features.

Create a mobile first ‘e-school’ that young adults could access anywhere, anytime to answer some of their top questions around all things dating: www.schoolofswipe.com. Designed to be easily accessible, the resource presented how-to tips in a vibrant and informative way, focusing on common challenges shared amongst Asia’s daters.

Driven by our insights, School of Swipe was designed to serve as a repository across the following three themes:

1. App Know-how. Young singletons in Asia aren’t familiar with the features of the app, tips and tricks, which in turn leads to hesitancy when it comes to using dating apps.

2. Digital Safety. With reports of scams and catfishing, singles in Asia are also concerned about sharing information about themselves and connecting with new people on dating apps.

3. Taking online conversations offline. As daters returned to IRL dates post-pandemic, there’s hesitation in transitioning into real life interactions and meaningful relationships

From focus groups held across APAC, we knew that awareness and understanding of how to use dating apps in a way that is 'fun' and 'safe' were inadequate. 2 in 5 (41%) said they 'feel awkward' when it comes to dating, with nearly the same number (39%) saying they would hesitate in making the first move.

Not only is Tinder the world's most popular dating app, it's also a rite of passage for millions of young 18+ year olds everywhere. Nerves around making connections coupled with conservative Asian dating culture meant we needed to give current and aspiring online daters a "wingmate" to guide them in their journey of making first dates happen.

Launched first in Singapore before rolling out regionally, School of Swipe was developed as a resource to help young adult daters navigate the world of online dating and well-informed on keeping themselves safe whilst having fun.

Taking insights from the successful launch of School of Swipe in Singapore in 2022, we tailored the guides and launches based on local nuances and topics of interest for rolling out in the region across 2023.

Each market's launch included:

- An earned media-forward campaign led in with the dating aspirations of young adult singles, their knowledge gap and how School of Swipe would be a handy resource.

- Popular local social content creators who could speak directly to young daters engaged to share about their dating struggles while amplifying School of Swipe.

- Working with local industry experts in relationships, cybersafety, and consent to boost and localise the credibility of our insights and advice.

- In-app and direct-to-consumer events drove traffic to the site whilst emphasising the importance of safe and fun experiences in online dating.

School of Swipe launched in 6 countries (Australia, India, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) between January and December 2023. Over this period, we accumulated over 340 pieces of positive coverage, with 45% in local priority titles such as CNN Philippines, as well as regional media such as Mashable SEA. We drove approximately 31,000 users to School of Swipe sites combined and when looking at the in-app engagement, we exceeded benchmark engagement metrics by 3x.

School of Swipe established a new global intellectual property for Tinder, and also opened up a new platform for the world’s largest dating app to connect directly with young adult singles looking to explore online dating. Not only is Tinder’s School of Swipe the first of its kind in APAC, it has also made its mark in Europe, launching at a pop up in Spain. The guide will continue to extend into new markets such as India and South Korea in 2024.