Bumble Influencer Marketing Strategy: How Bumble Has Leveraged Influencers Amidst Dating App Fatigue

What is Bumble?

Despite the influx of new dating platforms appearing on the market, Bumble has continued to be a trailblazer in the industry. Launched in late 2014, Bumble had grown to 50 million users worldwide in 8 short years. Bumble was championed by the part feminist revolution, part startup triumph, with women empowered to make the first move. For users seeking heterosexual connections, only women users could message male matches first. As the platform expanded into further LGBTQIA+ accessibility, that premise has changed, but the core DNA of the brand rings true: Self-empowerment, meaningful, and genuine relationships. 

What set Bumble apart from its competitors was not only its unique approach to dating dynamics but also its broader cultural mission. The app positioned itself as more than just a place to meet people but a symbol of modern connection, equality, and respect in the digital age. By prioritising safety features such as photo verification, in-app reporting tools, and anti-harassment policies, Bumble cultivated an environment where users could feel confident expressing themselves.

From expansion into platonic avenues like Bumble BFF to IRL events – from spin classes to community service – Bumble has continuously adapted to meet the needs of its users, without compromising on their key pillars. The company’s ventures into professional networking through Bumble Bizz and its growing emphasis on fostering community demonstrate its evolution from a dating app to a multifaceted social platform. Each new initiative reinforces the brand’s central vision: encouraging individuals to make the first move not just in love, but also out of it.

Bumble Usership

After a decade of swiping culture, multi-generations of users have started to experience “dating app fatigue.” The endless cycle of chatting, ghosting, and unmet expectations has left many users (78% of Gen Z and 80% of Millennials to be exact) feeling emotionally drained and disconnected. Bumble recognised this fatigue early – and rather than doubling down on dating, the brand chose to expand the definition of connection.

Let’s take a look at Bumble’s estimated usership. 

According to a Forbes Health study, approximately 40% of the platform’s usership is Gen Z, with an additional 30% of Millennials hopping onto the platform since last year. But why are they heading onto the platform, because it seems that the younger generation aren’t diving into relationships headfirst anymore?

Well, under Whitney Wolfe Herd’s renewed leadership, Bumble’s move to Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz, two extensions of the app, signaled a move in focus to platonic relationships and community building. These modes allow users to meet like-minded people, form support systems, and even network professionally. But this expansion reflects a larger cultural trend; a post-pandemic world where people crave belonging more than surface-level matches. Friendships, mentorships, and communities are now as valuable – if not more – than romantic relationships. Bumble’s repositioning taps directly into that emotional need, offering a holistic space where users can find their people, not just their partners.

This user shift isn’t just strategic – it’s emotional. Bumble is acknowledging what many brands overlook: that connection fatigue isn’t a problem of apps, but of how we connect. By centering empathy, wellness, and friendship, Bumble is redefining what it means to “meet someone online”, be it a partner or a BFF.

Bumble Influencer Marketing Strategy

So, how do they cut through the noise and carry this message forward using influencers?

Amelia Dimoldenberg Partnership

With 2025 marking a new era of advertising within the dating world – with competitors Tinder & Hinge rolling out campaigns worldwide – brands have to get creative, and Bumble is no exception. Many influencer stories can often feel unattainable to the everyday person – red carpets, movie premieres, newly shipped PR boxes – but the one thing we can all relate to is dating. Whether it’s love stories or dating horror stories, we all understand the feeling of being ghosted when you thought things were going great. So, what better way to join these dots than an influencer that has built her entire online identity from dating… Amelia Dimoldenberg. 

Featuring iconic awkward dater Amelia Dimoldenberg, creator of Chicken Shop Date, Bumble partnered with her to offer her audience some much needed dating advice. Leaning into the liberation that comes from dating, Amelia provided playful and honest commentary surrounding her own experiences on dating apps, heavily leaning into Bumble’s female-first empowerment angle. 

For The Love of Love

Launched in August 2025, Bumble’s For the Love of Love campaign marked a new era in the brand’s storytelling – one that celebrates love in every form, not just romance. While dating remains central to Bumble’s identity, this campaign expanded the narrative to include self-love, friendship, and emotional connection, reminding users that relationships of all kinds are worth celebrating.

What truly set For the Love of Love apart was its integration of credible voices ingrained in their influencer partnerships. Bumble introduced a new in-app Dating Advice Hub, featuring relationship experts, licensed therapists, and bestselling authors like Jillian Turecki (3.3M), Shan Boodram (681K), and Kier Gaines (1.5M), whose combined reach and insight brought real-world credibility to the brand’s message. Together, these creators helped transform Bumble from a dating app into a platform for emotional growth – offering users practical advice, reflective conversations, and licensed support for the modern dating experience.

Beyond the Dating Advice Hub, Bumble has also leaned into real-world activations and influencer-led events to bring its message of connection to life. These experiences extended the brand beyond the screen, transforming its campaigns into cultural moments that celebrate love and community. Recent events have featured familiar faces like Chris Briney, the iconic romantic interest ‘Conrad’ in The Summer I Turned Pretty, whose appearance alongside his IRL partner helped spotlight Bumble’s broader message.

(It’s okay Conrad, we know you only have eyes for Belly).

By weaving real relationships into their influencer strategy, Bumble continues to bridge the gap between aspirational storytelling and genuine emotional relatability – showing that the connections we see online can truly inspire the ones we build offline – and what better place to do it than Bumble?

Aaron Pierre for Valentines

Lion King actor Aaron Pierre was dubbed ‘the internet’s dream husband’ so Bumble wanted to leverage his appeal to the masses. Aaron starred in a Valentine’s Day 2025 campaign for Bumble, which featured a “boyfriend-coded”, candid photoshoot and video content where he discussed his views on energy, emotional vulnerability, and what he looks for in a partner. 

This campaign highlights the importance of capturing moments. Following Aaron’s iconic appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show (where we saw the crowd chant ‘Aaron Pierre, that’s Mufassa’ during his Spirit Tunnel), Bumble capitalised on the hype surrounding the actor which seamlessly integrated his genuine appeal with the app’s mission to foster deeper, more emotionally vulnerable connections.

#BumblePartner

#BumblePartner is nothing new – except when it is. From Jake Shane to Griffin Johnson, Bumble has always championed creators to share their experiences with the app on their platform. However in recent years, Bumble has truly expanded their view on how far influencers can be incorporated into their strategy. From tactically positioned pop up stalls with custom love notes, to retreats to Laguna to drive their ‘New Year More Me’ messaging, Bumble has ensured that their influencer content goes further and translates faster than your run-of-the-mill ads.

It’s smart. It’s strategic. Turning their user base into engaging testimonials and influencers with their widespread appeal into the spokespersons speaks volumes about how the brand champions its users.

Cosmopolitan x Bumble Love Ball

Valentine’s day is obviously a big occasion in the dating app calendar, so what better way to welcome in a new era of dating than with a ‘Love Ball‘ – featuring Cosmopolitan and Bumble at the helm?

On the eve of Valentines, the iconic duo welcomed a range of influencers and celebrities to the BOOM at The Standard in New York City for a night of celebration, music (powered by rapper JT, Las Flaquitas and DJ Gus Dapperton). The event invited guests to explore connections and even share their relationship status with Bumble-Yellow bracelets.

Bumble giving Valentines the New Year’s Eve treatment built excitement around dating, friendships, and romance – using figures like TV personality Tayshia Adams (1.3M), Sofia Franklyn (625K), and couple Abe Lichy and Erin Lichy from The Real Housewives of New York, the event ushered in a diverse mix of attendees, and their audiences.