West Hollywood, Calif. (March 10, 2020) -- Tinder has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2020. The list honors the businesses making the most profound impact on both industry and culture, showcasing a variety of ways to thrive in today’s fast-changing world. Tinder was included in the Video category for its latest innovation, Swipe Night, a first-of-its-kind, interactive experience that gave Gen Z plenty of ways to break the ice on Tinder.
“As a leader in designing products and experiences for Gen Z, we're honored to be recognized by Fast Company as one of this year's Most Innovative Companies,” said Tinder CEO, Elie Seidman. “This recognition would not have been possible without a culture that fosters innovation and a team that is committed to constantly pushing the envelope. Swipe Night is a great example of what can happen when teams are challenged to come up with big, bold ideas.”
Launched in late 2019, Swipe Night is a first-person adventure where at key turning points, Tinder members decide what happens to them next. And their choices dictate more than just the story; they also impact who they match with and what they will chat about once the story ends. The series brought interactive streaming video to Tinder for the first time, which allowed the entire experience to be designed to speak the language of Gen Z, video.
As the story unfolds, members face moral dilemmas and practical choices, with only seven seconds to make a decision. After each Swipe Night story release, critical choices were added to members’ profiles, showing which decisions potential matches did or did not make. This new approach to matching provided plenty of material for Swipe Night inspired banter and led to an increase in matches (26 percent) and conversations (12 percent). Based on its success Tinder recently announced a second season to be released this summer.
Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses on the planet and across myriad industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process. The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy.
“At a time of increasing global volatility, this year’s list showcases the resilience and optimism of businesses across the world. These companies are applying creativity to solve challenges within their industries and far beyond,” said Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley, who oversaw the issue with deputy editor David Lidsky.
Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2020) is now available online at fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2020, as well as in app form via iTunes and on newsstands beginning March 17, 2020. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative.
