OkCupid’s Michael Kaye on Successful Hearts with Information, Storytelling, and Inclusivity

Information-driven storytelling is on the coronary heart of successful buyer love. However like Cupid’s arrow, it may well both be successful or an costly miss.

That can assist you craft the proper love story between information storytelling and model, we interviewed Michael Kaye, OkCupid and ARCHER’s director of name advertising and marketing & communications. Michael is a communications strategist and purpose-driven marketer acknowledged by Enterprise Insider as a Prime Tech PR Professional, PR Web’s Marcomms Most Influential, PRWeek’s 40 Beneath 40, and a Ragan Recreation Changer.

Dive in for a wealth of sensible takeaways about fostering model authenticity, amplifying queer illustration, and standing out from the competitors. Michael additionally shares some golden nuggets on strong localization and profitable model collaboration.

This interview is a part of G2’s Skilled Highlight sequence. For extra content material like this, subscribe to G2 Tea, a publication with SaaS-y information and leisure.

 

Heat-up questions

What’s your favourite beverage?

An espresso martini.

 

What was your first job?

I used to be a camp counselor. I spent my childhood attending day camps, and in highschool, I grew to become a counselor in coaching (CIT). I continued as a camp counselor all through highschool and school, primarily working with boys within the first and second grades.

 

What’s your favourite software program in your present tech stack?

At present, ChatGPT is the one which has remodeled my workflow. Though I is likely to be a little bit of a late adopter, it has been invaluable. For my publication, Blurring The Traces, I conduct reside interviews, document the audio, after which convert it right into a transcript. Utilizing ChatGPT to scrub up the transcripts by eradicating filler phrases and repetitive content material has saved me numerous hours every week. It is actually been a lifesaver.

 

What issues at work make you need to throw your laptop computer out the window?

I haven’t confronted this problem lately, however a serious frustration comes from my communications background, significantly when coping with storytelling alongside journalists. It is exasperating when headlines do not match the narrative we supposed or after they’re overly damaging, but such issues usually lie past my management. As somebody who likes to have management over each facet, these conditions will be fairly difficult.

Deep dives with Michael Kaye

Are you able to inform us about your journey of changing into a model advertising and marketing and communications chief for ARCHER and OkCupid?

Completely. I have been on this trade for about 10 years. I began with 5 years at numerous communications companies, working with shoppers throughout numerous sectors like international tech platforms, client items, fast service eating places, and leisure methods. In 2019, I joined Match Group to guide PR for OkCupid within the U.S., which rapidly became a worldwide position. I launched the model in international locations like Australia, Germany, Israel, Turkey, and the UK.

Through the years, I took on extra advertising and marketing capabilities, initially dealing with social media for OkCupid after which transferring into creator and influencer partnerships. By 2022, I began engaged on ARCHER, Match Group’s first LGBTQ+ particular courting app, which is a social-first platform for homosexual and queer males within the U.S. As head of name, I now lead creator partnerships, communications, PR, model partnerships, occasions, and social media for each apps.

Pondering again, my position has advanced considerably in the direction of advertising and marketing, which was fairly a giant shift from my earlier profession focus. When this transition started, I confronted a whole lot of imposter syndrome, steadily questioning my very own expertise and match for the position. However then I noticed that on the coronary heart of it, every part is about storytelling — whether or not via collaborating with a creator on a social video or partaking customers at an occasion. That realization shapes every part I do now.

Since becoming a member of OkCupid, the model has seen the best quantity of press ever, together with a White Home press launch point out. What are some finest practices you’ve harnessed to attain international in addition to home-ground success?

There are three key practices which have pushed our success. 

First is information storytelling. Not like some other courting app on the earth, OkCupid matches folks on what issues to them via 1000s of in-app questions which have been answered greater than 10 billion occasions since we launched. These questions cowl subjects associated to courting, relationships, and intercourse but additionally spotlight all the problems which can be on the prime of the minds of Gen Z and millennial daters. These insights actually assist me inform tales on an area, nationwide, and international degree with tailor-made angles for every market. 

That leans into the second observe: localized, personalised narratives. Journalists at this time aren’t in search of a regurgitated press launch; they need a narrative with a singular angle related to their particular viewers. I can section the information by folks in New York Metropolis, Florida, France, and many others. to uncover data-driven insights about how persons are feeling not nearly courting and relationships but additionally about tradition and politics at a worldwide in addition to native degree. 

“All these finest practices mix into one another. I do not assume a narrative needs to be considered one of them. An awesome story is all of them.”

Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER

The final piece is emotion. Our tales must resonate on a human degree. You would possibly lean on the information to assist your narrative, however what’s the private facet of that information? Now we have to humanize the numbers.

Measuring emotion is a really tough and delicate knack. How did you do this?

I am really going to return to the information for the emotion piece as a result of what’s fascinating about our questions is that every one is non-compulsory. If persons are answering a whole lot of questions on a given matter, it indicators a connection they’ve with the respective matter as a result of they do not need to reply it. Going past simply answering our questions, customers can rank how essential a query is to them. These issue into our algorithm and the way we join folks. 

For instance, whereas many individuals would possibly love horror films, the information indicators assist us perceive layered data. For instance, it may not be a giant precedence for them, or they may not have a giant connection to that matter. However, what they do have a powerful connection to is reproductive rights. This implies rather a lot to a lot of our daters. The message turns into clear that daters do not need to be matched with somebody who would not consider that individuals have the proper to decide on what to do with their very own our bodies. 

Our information actually does inform us rather a lot about human habits and the emotional connections our daters have to those main points which can be urgent for Gen Z and millennial daters. 

We additionally actively have interaction with our daters. We do not sit in an workplace and by no means work together with our customers. We’re speaking to daters on a month-to-month foundation.

“Folks DM me asking for recommendation on courting or constructing a profile. There’s a number of dialogue between our workers and the precise app customers, which is wonderful as in addition they assist inform product options and model campaigns. Now we have a extremely shut connection to the folks on our apps.”

Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER

How do you differentiate your communication technique for ARCHER and OkCupid from its rivals like Grindr, Hinge, and Tinder? And from one another?

To distinguish our communication technique for ARCHER and OkCupid, we focus closely on product schooling. On ARCHER, each profile reveals a face, which is a giant distinction from our rivals. The place they’re all about anonymity and secrecy, we’re about celebration and exhibiting your truest self. OkCupid, however, makes use of intensive matching inquiries to match customers primarily based on what issues most to them.

“All the things we do tries to drive again to that USP and remind folks why we’re totally different from a product perspective.”

Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER

Our advertising and marketing and brand-building methods for ARCHER and OkCupid differ in nuance as every model has very totally different challenges. 

ARCHER is a model new app geared in the direction of a distinct segment demographic of homosexual and queer Gen Z and millennial males. Our important goal for ARCHER is first model consciousness after which model affinity. Our technique focuses on constructing model consciousness and affinity via each on-line presence and in-person occasions. Over the previous 12 months, we have tapped tons of of creators and influencers, however we have additionally hosted and sponsored dozens of in-person occasions throughout the nation. 

We have already examined our first model integration on Ru Paul’s Drag Race International All Stars, and that exercise really drove double-digit progress and downloads the weekend our episode aired in comparison with the weekend earlier than. 

You may discover that if you have a look at the advertising and marketing mixture of what we’re doing for ARCHER, it is hitting each doable lever. We’re not simply leaning into PR or creators; now we have to do all of it to be sure that when a homosexual man leaves his residence in New York Metropolis, he sees us on a billboard, after which he opens Tiktok and an ARCHER advert comes up. After which, after work, when he goes to a homosexual bar together with his pals, he sees ARCHER-branded napkins, and he is continuously seeing this model identify. 

OkCupid is a very totally different ball recreation. It’s a 20+ year-old OG courting app with tens of millions of customers worldwide. Opposite to ARCHER’s area of interest demographic, OkCupid is actually for everybody, no matter how they determine. For OkCupid, our problem isn’t model consciousness however model notion — being seen as a courting app for an older demographic. 

Once I joined OkCupid, I bear in mind asking my youthful cousin in her 20s, “Have you learnt OkCupid?” And he or she stated, “Yeah, after all. I do know OkCupid. It is a courting app for older folks.” 

Combating the affiliation with an older demographic and concentrating on Gen Z and youthful millennials is essential as a result of we need to maintain bringing in youthful customers. We have been leaning into collaborations with manufacturers that Gen Z and millennials love.

One in all my favourite model collabs occurred most lately.

“OkCupid collaborated with the AI picture enhancing app Photoroom to create a software known as the Ex-Terminator. This was primarily based on the perception we gained from customers stating that about 6 in 10 (55%) Gen Z daters have images the place they need to erase a former associate.”

Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER

After a breakup, folks usually need to get again into courting. The issue is that their finest images embrace their ex, which is not splendid for a contemporary begin on a courting profile. The Ex-Terminator software lets folks simply erase their ex from these photos. As soon as that was performed, folks might dive again into the courting scene with their OkCupid ex-free profile. And it was such a powerful marketing campaign for us.

OkCupid Photoroom campaign

Supply: OkCupid Weblog

14%

Was the spike in matches on OkCupid brought on by the marketing campaign launch. This progress was in comparison with the identical month final 12 months. The marketing campaign was pushed by PR, social media, and influencers.

OkCupid and Photoroom groups are in ongoing discussions for brand spanking new plans for 2025.

We’re leaning into model partnerships and constructing on the fandoms of different firms.

We’re additionally talking with a extremely huge espresso chain right here in the US as a result of 8 in 10 daters on OkCupid love espresso dates. So there’s rather a lot brewing over right here. Pun supposed.

I feel somebody must be brazenly homosexual to be on the ARCHER app, proper? Is there a approach via your technique or via ARCHER as a company to assist people who’re on that coming-out journey?

Our strategy with ARCHER is certainly for people who find themselves brazenly homosexual and able to specific their true selves. Whereas this may not initially embrace everybody, we’re dedicated to supporting these on their journey after they’re prepared. 

To assist this, we provide the ARCHER Well being Hub characteristic, obtainable each on-line and on social media. It is a useful resource geared toward educating and informing homosexual and queer males, no matter the place they’re of their life journey. We created this to handle the gaps our nation’s schooling system has which can be failing the LGBTQ+ group as an entire. 

Every month, we characteristic new content material specializing in essential points. Subjects embrace coming-out journeys, dwelling with HIV, variety in courting, and dealing with rejection. Written by each exterior contributors and myself, these items are formatted as “how-to” advice-driven articles to handle robust, uncomfortable, real-life conversations.

OkCupid has been round for some time in comparison with its rivals. How do you retain the model feeling contemporary and related?

Moreover the model partnerships, our storytelling has been laser-focused on subjects that our youthful daters care about most. These embrace conversations round local weather change, moral non-monogamy, psychological well being, reproductive rights, and many others. Having the ability to authentically join our model to those conversations has catapulted OkCupid again into the cultural zeitgeist of Gen Z and younger millennials.

From being focused as consumers to being the parents working behind manufacturers and companies, how have you ever seen the state of queer illustration in advertising and marketing change?

There’s undoubtedly been progress, however there’s additionally work to be performed. There’s an unimaginable LGBTQ+ equality non-profit group known as GLAAD that works to form the narrative and lead cultural change for the queer group via dynamic media. In line with GLAAD’s 2023 report, LGBTQ+ persons are nonetheless underrepresented in mainstream promoting. Queer folks solely seem in 3% of advertisements and obtain lower than 2% of display screen time.

At OkCupid, and clearly, Archer, as a result of that is an app for queer males particularly, we absolutely assist the LGBTQ+ group, together with non-binary and transgender customers. 

Through the years, I’ve actually appreciated this about our firm, particularly OkCupid. It is technically a mainstream app, and we actually consider there must be extra trans inclusion in promoting and advertising and marketing. 

We’re proud to have labored with trans activists like Dylan Mulvaney or bisexual, homosexual, and pansexual fashions in our model campaigns. It is our accountability, particularly once we’re doing a model marketing campaign, to spotlight all the attractive identities of the daters we see on OkCupid. 

All of us need to see ourselves mirrored in a model we love, a product we use, or a present or film we watch. So I’d say, sure, there’s progress, however there’s a lot work that also must be performed.

“Manufacturers have a whole lot of energy. Even when not all of us have large advertising and marketing budgets, we do have advertising and marketing budgets and large platforms. Companies have a accountability and a chance to really shift and propel tradition.”

Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER

Are there any client traits you’re seeing change into outstanding or emerge with regards to consuming branded content material? What’s your recommendation to PR professionals and entrepreneurs on the whole proper now?

Do the surprising whereas staying true to your model’s identification. There’s an organization I have been talking with for the previous couple of months a couple of partnership with OkCupid, and they’re thus far out of our typical realm of partnerships. 

I bear in mind going into that dialog saying, “That is going to be a waste of my time. I do not even know why I am entertaining this name.” Quick ahead half-hour, I left the decision extremely enthusiastic about what this partnership might change into as a result of it was so surprising. And I feel it is a type of moments the place persons are going to say, “What the hell are these two manufacturers doing collectively?” 

Such surprising collaborations can captivate audiences and spark conversations. My recommendation to PR people and entrepreneurs can be to be sure to’re not aligning your self with an organization with drastically totally different morals and values. I would not do this. However look past what folks would actually anticipate from an organization inside your given class.

“Do the surprising, however keep genuine. Look past the apparent, however stay constant together with your core rules.”

Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER

Our CEO Godard has talked about imagining G2 because the place the place software program consumers and sellers fall in love, which makes me think about a G2 model of OkCupid. What’s one characteristic you assume G2 might take inspiration from OkCupid?

Our deal with localization and personalization is one key takeaway for G2 from OkCupid. This isn’t a characteristic however an strategy. On OkCupid, a person’s expertise is tailor-made to their location, whether or not they’re in New York, Berlin, London, Montreal, or Tel Aviv. We have developed localized matching questions for over 30 markets globally, making the app really feel like an area product wherever you employ it. 

We have interaction with native groups to grasp cultural nuances and incorporate these insights into our app. For instance, in Israel, now we have folks on the bottom that we’re at all times speaking to, who’re our eyes and ears for what’s occurring in tradition and politics. We convey these conversations and formulate them into questions for the OkCupid app. That is one a part of OkCupid that I’ve at all times cherished.

“This degree of personalization, together with tailor-made questions for queer communities, creates a deeply private expertise that I discover outstanding and unparalleled in different tech merchandise.”

Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER

What’s your subsequent profession step? What are you striving towards or hoping to study sooner or later?

As we communicate, I simply obtained this thrilling information that we hit 1 million downloads for ARCHER inside 1 12 months of launching, which is such an unimaginable milestone. I am pleased with everybody throughout product, finance, advertising and marketing, and information for this group effort. 

My quick focus is on reaching the following million downloads for ARCHER and cementing the model within the homosexual cultural zeitgeist. 

Personally, I’ve a powerful ardour for steady studying. I maintain a grasp’s in strategic communications and have accomplished numerous certificates packages in communications and social media advertising and marketing. I am wanting to dive deeper into advertising and marketing to discover and experiment with AI. 

My aim for 2025 is to broaden my experience, develop and study as a marketer, and see wherever my profession takes me.

How do you steadiness all of it and keep sane?

Balancing every part comes right down to time administration and sacrifice. I acknowledge that I can not do all of it, so I am comfy saying no to sure issues to make sure I may give 100% to what I select to have interaction with. It is essential to prioritize high quality over sheer amount in my commitments. 

I additionally make it some extent to carve out private time, usually shocking folks with how offline I will be. Every week, I dedicate time to actions like SoulCycle, studying, listening to podcasts, or strolling in Central Park. These breaks assist me disconnect from work and recharge, sustaining my psychological well being and creativity. Amidst our always-online world, discovering moments to be offline is essential for staying balanced and sane.

What position has mentorship performed in your journey?

I am lucky to have had actually unimaginable mentors at each stage of my private {and professional} journey. At the beginning are my grandparents, who’re my adoptive dad and mom. They created a life higher than something I might have ever imagined. My dad taught me the significance of a powerful work ethic. I realized the worth of networking via each my dad and mom as a result of they had been at all times the most well-liked folks I knew. I would not be anyplace with out them. Any new position, promotion, or award is devoted to them. I at all times thank them first.

Over my profession, I have been influenced by highly effective ladies. Two come to thoughts. First is Maryam Ayromlou, a former colleague and Emmy-winning TV information senior producer turned communications government. Maryam is at present the managing director of storytelling & content material at Ruder Finn. She taught me a lot about consumer administration, expectation setting, and storytelling.

The second is Melissa Hobley, the chief advertising and marketing officer at Tinder. She’s the previous CMO at OkCupid, and he or she is the one that employed me right here. We didn’t know one another prior, and Melissa has at all times been a fierce advocate for me. She helped pave a brand new profession trajectory for me and has supported me on a private {and professional} degree for years. I’ve realized a lot from her about private branding and storytelling. 

I’ve additionally realized about empathy and exhibiting up for somebody within the office past their conventional methods.

Melissa’s handled growing older dad and mom on the similar time that I’ve handled growing older dad and mom and has been a assist system for me to lean on and navigate as a result of, for somebody my age with older dad and mom, it may be a really isolating expertise. She’s been my shoulder to lean on which works properly past what her job description is. I realized rather a lot about empathy from her, too.


Observe Michael Kaye for the most recent thought management in PR, branding, and advertising and marketing methods.

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