David Brown

In less than two weeks, Bumble has managed to alienate its core audience and undermine the very thing that made it different.

That's two strikes.

And a third is on its way.

It's November 2024 in Austin.

Bumble's marketing team is putting the finishing touches on a new series of online video ads.

Most of them follow a similar theme.

A couple who met on Bumble shares how they found each other on the app, how their first date went, how the relationship grew from there.

Each ad highlights a different aspect of the dating app's new features.

In one ad, the focus is on Bumble's new updated Dating Intentions feature.

It rolled out earlier in the year with the company's spring rebrand and allows users to pin their intentions to their profile.

So, if you're looking for something serious and a potential match says their intentions are casual, you just keep swiping.

In the Bumble ad, both users have declared the same intention, looking for a long-term relationship.

Their voices are layered over shots of the couple smiling, hugging, holding hands, and kissing.

Really?

This is the ideal Bumble is selling.

Join the app, meet someone great, find love.

But investors aren't feeling quite so warm and fuzzy about the company itself.

As the ads are being finalized, Bumble releases its third quarter earnings.

Total revenue comes in at $274 million.

That's down 1% from the same period a year earlier.