Big first move... The dating app where ladies initiate, Bumble already revealed its IPO interest last fall. Now it's just launched Bumble Mag: A 100-page, coffee-table worthy, lifestyle advice-packed, physical magazine (remember those?). Our favorite numbers from the Mag:
- Issue #1: Bumble advisor Serena Williams quilled a story, with interviews from female founders like Man Repeller's Leandra Medine.
- 50M: Bumble's total userbase (who can request a copy of the mag in-app).
- 2: Pull-out posters in the mag that can be used as backdrops for new profile pics in the dating app.
Online just defined the relationship with offline... After digging into Bumble Mag, we were shocked at the number of digital brands with a thing for analog publications. In an app-first era, disconnected engagement now drives connections with digitally-native brands:
- "Wooly": Mattress-in-a-box pioneer Casper explores "comfort, wellness, and modern life" for $12 per magazine.
- "Here": Suitcase icon Away is on issue #7 of its travel print.
- "Grow": Yes, Facebook has a quarterly magazine for business leaders who love "thought leadership," "synergies," and buzzwords.
- "Airbnb Mag": That Wes Anderson-inspired movie theater apartment in Ontario? Airbnb curates its most obscure experiences at $18 for 6 issues.
This is Bumble's anti-Tinder strategy... Match Group dominates online dating with over 45 apps (including Tinder and Hinge). Bumble CEO and founder Whitney Wolffe is open to IPO, and knows a lifestyle brand is Bumble's differentiator — Its "Hives" (physical Bumble clubs for talks, socializing, and networking) were part of that strategy. So is its Mag.