Knowledge-driven storytelling is on the coronary heart of profitable buyer love. However like Cupid’s arrow, it may well both be a success or an costly miss.
That will help you craft the right 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 Underneath 40, and a Ragan Sport 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 collection. 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 turned a counselor in coaching (CIT). I continued as a camp counselor all through highschool and faculty, 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 Strains, I conduct reside interviews, document the audio, after which convert it right into a transcript. Utilizing ChatGPT to wash 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 wish to throw your laptop computer out the window?
I haven’t confronted this situation just lately, however a significant frustration comes from my communications background, notably when coping with storytelling alongside journalists. It is exasperating when headlines do not match the narrative we supposed or after they’re overly unfavourable, but such issues typically lie past my management. As somebody who likes to have management over each side, these conditions might 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 business for about 10 years. I began with 5 years at numerous communications companies, working with shoppers throughout various sectors like world tech platforms, client items, fast service eating places, and leisure techniques. In 2019, I joined Match Group to steer PR for OkCupid within the U.S., which shortly changed into a worldwide position. I launched the model in nations like Australia, Germany, Israel, Turkey, and the UK.
Over time, I took on extra advertising and marketing features, 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 relationship 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.
Considering again, my position has advanced considerably in direction of advertising and marketing, which was fairly an enormous shift from my earlier profession focus. When this transition started, I confronted a whole lot of imposter syndrome, often questioning my very own expertise and match for the position. However then I noticed that on the coronary heart of it, all the pieces is about storytelling — whether or not by collaborating with a creator on a social video or partaking customers at an occasion. That realization shapes all the pieces I do now.
Since becoming a member of OkCupid, the model has seen the very best quantity of press ever, together with a White Home press launch point out. What are some finest practices you’ve harnessed to realize world in addition to home-ground success?
There are three key practices which have pushed our success.
First is information storytelling. In contrast to some other relationship app on this planet, OkCupid matches individuals on what issues to them by 1000s of in-app questions which were answered greater than 10 billion instances since we launched. These questions cowl subjects associated to relationship, relationships, and intercourse but additionally spotlight all the problems which can be on the high of the minds of Gen Z and millennial daters. These insights actually assist me inform tales on an area, nationwide, and world stage with tailor-made angles for every market.
That leans into the second observe: localized, customized narratives. Journalists at the moment aren’t on the lookout for a regurgitated press launch; they need a narrative with a novel angle related to their particular viewers. I can section the info by individuals in New York Metropolis, Florida, France, and so on. to uncover data-driven insights about how persons are feeling not nearly relationship and relationships but additionally about tradition and politics at a worldwide in addition to native stage.
“All these finest practices mix into one another. I do not assume a narrative must be certainly one of them. An amazing 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 have to resonate on a human stage. You would possibly lean on the info to assist your narrative, however what’s the private aspect of that information? We’ve got to humanize the numbers.
Measuring emotion is a really tough and delicate knack. How did you do this?
I am truly going to return to the info for the emotion piece as a result of what’s fascinating about our questions is that every one is non-obligatory. If persons are answering a whole lot of questions on a given subject, it indicators a connection they’ve with the respective subject as a result of they do not need to reply it. Going past simply answering our questions, customers can rank how necessary a query is to them. These issue into our algorithm and the way we join individuals.
For instance, whereas many individuals would possibly love horror motion pictures, the info indicators assist us perceive layered info. For instance, it may not be an enormous precedence for them, or they won’t have an enormous connection to that subject. However, what they do have a robust connection to is reproductive rights. This implies so much to a lot of our daters. The message turns into clear that daters do not wish to be matched with somebody who does not imagine that individuals have the appropriate to decide on what to do with their very own our bodies.
Our information actually does inform us so much about human conduct 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 relationship 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. We’ve got a extremely shut connection to the individuals 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 an enormous distinction from our rivals. The place they’re all about anonymity and secrecy, we’re about celebration and exhibiting your truest self. OkCupid, then again, makes use of intensive matching inquiries to match customers based mostly on what issues most to them.
“Every thing we do tries to drive again to that USP and remind individuals why we’re completely 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 completely different challenges.
ARCHER is a model new app geared in direction of a distinct segment demographic of homosexual and queer Gen Z and millennial males. Our principal goal for ARCHER is first model consciousness after which model affinity. Our technique focuses on constructing model consciousness and affinity by each on-line presence and in-person occasions. Over the previous yr, we have tapped lots 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 World All Stars, and that exercise truly drove double-digit development and downloads the weekend our episode aired in comparison with the weekend earlier than.
You may discover that once you have a look at the advertising and marketing mixture of what we’re doing for ARCHER, it is hitting each attainable lever. We’re not simply leaning into PR or creators; we have now to do all of it to ensure that when a homosexual man leaves his condominium 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 mates, he sees ARCHER-branded napkins, and he is continuously seeing this model identify.
OkCupid is a totally completely different ball recreation. It’s a 20+ year-old OG relationship app with thousands and thousands of customers worldwide. Opposite to ARCHER’s area of interest demographic, OkCupid is actually for everybody, no matter how they establish. For OkCupid, our problem isn’t model consciousness however model notion — being seen as a relationship app for an older demographic.
Once I joined OkCupid, I bear in mind asking my youthful cousin in her 20s, “Are you aware OkCupid?” And she or he mentioned, “Yeah, in fact. I do know OkCupid. It is a relationship app for older individuals.”
Combating the affiliation with an older demographic and focusing on Gen Z and youthful millennials is necessary as a result of we wish to maintain bringing in youthful customers. We have been leaning into collaborations with manufacturers that Gen Z and millennials love.
One among my favourite model collabs occurred most just lately.
“OkCupid collaborated with the AI photograph enhancing app Photoroom to create a instrument referred to as the Ex-Terminator. This was based mostly on the perception we gained from customers stating that about 6 in 10 (55%) Gen Z daters have photographs the place they wish to erase a former associate.”
Michael Kaye
Director of name advertising and marketing & communications at OkCupid and ARCHER
After a breakup, individuals typically wish to get again into relationship. The issue is that their finest photographs embody their ex, which is not supreme for a contemporary begin on a relationship profile. The Ex-Terminator instrument lets individuals simply erase their ex from these photos. As soon as that was achieved, individuals may dive again into the relationship scene with their OkCupid ex-free profile. And it was such a robust marketing campaign for us.
Supply: OkCupid Weblog
14%
Was the spike in matches on OkCupid brought on by the marketing campaign launch. This development was in comparison with the identical month final yr. The marketing campaign was pushed by PR, social media, and influencers.
OkCupid and Photoroom groups are in ongoing discussions for brand 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 large espresso chain right here in america as a result of 8 in 10 daters on OkCupid love espresso dates. So there’s so much brewing over right here. Pun supposed.
I believe somebody must be brazenly homosexual to be on the ARCHER app, proper? Is there a method by your technique or by ARCHER as a corporation to assist people who’re on that coming-out journey?
Our method with ARCHER is certainly for people who find themselves brazenly homosexual and able to categorical their true selves. Whereas this may not initially embody everybody, we’re dedicated to supporting these on their journey after they’re prepared.
To assist this, we provide the ARCHER Well being Hub function, accessible each on-line and on social media. It is a useful resource aimed toward educating and informing homosexual and queer males, no matter the place they’re of their life journey. We created this to deal with the gaps our nation’s schooling system has which can be failing the LGBTQ+ group as an entire.
Every month, we function new content material specializing in essential points. Subjects embody coming-out journeys, dwelling with HIV, range in relationship, and dealing with rejection. Written by each exterior contributors and myself, these items are formatted as “how-to” advice-driven articles to deal with 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?
In addition to the model partnerships, our storytelling has been laser-focused on subjects that our youthful daters care about most. These embody conversations round local weather change, moral non-monogamy, psychological well being, reproductive rights, and so on. 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 patrons to being the oldsters working behind manufacturers and companies, how have you ever seen the state of queer illustration in advertising and marketing change?
There’s positively been progress, however there’s additionally work to be achieved. There’s an unimaginable LGBTQ+ equality non-profit group referred to as GLAAD that works to form the narrative and lead cultural change for the queer group by dynamic media. In keeping with GLAAD’s 2023 report, LGBTQ+ persons are nonetheless underrepresented in mainstream promoting. Queer individuals solely seem in 3% of adverts and obtain lower than 2% of display time.
At OkCupid, and clearly, Archer, as a result of that is an app for queer males particularly, we totally assist the LGBTQ+ group, together with non-binary and transgender customers.
Over time, I’ve actually appreciated this about our firm, particularly OkCupid. It is technically a mainstream app, and we actually imagine 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 after we’re doing a model marketing campaign, to spotlight all the gorgeous identities of the daters we see on OkCupid.
All of us wish 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 achieved.
“Manufacturers have a whole lot of energy. Even when not all of us have big advertising and marketing budgets, we do have advertising and marketing budgets and big platforms. Companies have a accountability and a possibility 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 develop into distinguished or emerge on the subject of consuming branded content material? What’s your recommendation to PR professionals and entrepreneurs generally proper now?
Do the surprising whereas staying true to your model’s id. 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 may develop into as a result of it was so surprising. And I believe it is a kind 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 completely different morals and values. I would not do this. However look past what individuals 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
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Our CEO Godard has talked about imagining G2 because the place the place software program patrons and sellers fall in love, which makes me think about a G2 model of OkCupid. What’s one function you assume G2 may take inspiration from OkCupid?
Our deal with localization and personalization is one key takeaway for G2 from OkCupid. This isn’t a function however an method. 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 utilize it.
We have interaction with native groups to know cultural nuances and incorporate these insights into our app. For instance, in Israel, we have now individuals on the bottom that we’re at all times speaking to, who’re our eyes and ears for what’s taking place 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 stage of personalization, together with tailor-made questions for queer communities, creates a deeply private expertise that I discover exceptional 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 be taught sooner or later?
As we converse, I simply bought this thrilling information that we hit 1 million downloads for ARCHER inside 1 yr of launching, which is such an unimaginable milestone. I am happy with everybody throughout product, finance, advertising and marketing, and information for this workforce effort.
My fast focus is on reaching the following million downloads for ARCHER and cementing the model within the homosexual cultural zeitgeist.
Personally, I’ve a robust 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 desirous to dive deeper into advertising and marketing to discover and experiment with AI.
My purpose for 2025 is to broaden my experience, develop and be taught as a marketer, and see wherever my profession takes me.
How do you steadiness all of it and keep sane?
Balancing all the pieces comes all the way down to time administration and sacrifice. I acknowledge that I am unable to do all of it, so I am comfy saying no to sure issues to make sure I can provide 100% to what I select to interact with. It is necessary to prioritize high quality over sheer amount in my commitments.
I additionally make it some extent to carve out private time, typically shocking individuals with how offline I might 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. Firstly are my grandparents, who’re my adoptive dad and mom. They created a life higher than something I may have ever imagined. My dad taught me the significance of a robust work ethic. I realized the worth of networking by each my dad and mom as a result of they have been at all times the preferred individuals I knew. I would not be wherever 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 girls. Two come to thoughts. First is Maryam Ayromlou, a former colleague and Emmy-winning TV information senior producer turned communications govt. Maryam is at present the managing director of storytelling & content material at Ruder Finn. She taught me a lot about shopper 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 she or he 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} stage 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 old dad and mom on the identical time that I’ve handled growing old 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 fits properly past what her job description is. I realized so much about empathy from her, too.
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