Tinder Appoints Former Pizza Hut CMO Amid Push For Gen Z Users

(Bloomberg) -- Tinder has appointed a new chief marketing officer as part of an effort to attract new, younger users to its dating platform.

George Felix, a former marketing executive at Yum Brands Inc. who helped revive Pizza Hut and KFC, will assume the new role on April 26, a company spokesperson said.

Tinder, owned by Match Group Inc., and other dating apps including Bumble Inc. have tried to keep users interested amid pandemic-induced restrictions that have kept people at home swiping left and right to find new friends or romantic partners. As cities and businesses begin reopening and in-person socializing returns, Tinder is doubling down on Generation Z -- which comprises over half of its user base -- to maintain growth.

A key part of Felix’s mandate will be to engage and recruit more Gen Z users, according to a statement from the company on Monday. A recent study conducted by the dating-app showed nearly half of the Gen Z cohort had a video chat with a match during the pandemic and 40% plan to continue using video even when the pandemic is over. Gen Z is the newest generation and generally includes people born between 1997 and 2012.

“The possibilities for Tinder as a global brand are endless,” Felix said. “I’m thrilled to be joining during a time when a new generation is emerging to redefine relationships and the ways they want to meet new people.”

Felix will replace Tinder CMO Jenny Campbell who left the company in November and is now at Kate Spade & Co. Before Tinder, Felix served as CMO of Pizza Hut and director of marketing for KFC where he oversaw the popular “The Return of Colonel Sanders campaign.

Match Group commands a majority of the dating-app market share in the U.S. as the parent company of Hinge, OkCupid and Match.com.

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