Challenge: Standing Out Despite International Competition
This is a challenge that some companies surely recognize. You are dealing with competition from large, international companies. Companies that may have raised millions in investments or filled their war chest with advertising budgets you can only dream of.
A Dutch company that finds itself in such a position is the dating app The Inner Circle. The Dutch scale-up has never raised any investments and yet competes with the likes of Facebook, which has also launched a dating app. And what about Tinder, which earlier this year reported a greater revenue than Netflix. In other words: launching and growing a dating app is definitely no child's play. It's no surprise that PR is part of The Inner Circle's marketing mix: it's a smart, cost-effective way to reach your target audience.
Smart Positioning Makes Companies Stand Out
Since its inception (in 2012), The Inner Circle has been different from other dating apps. David Vermeulen launched the app after coming out of a long-term relationship. The dating app aims to connect ambitious and like-minded individuals, thereby selecting its members in a way different from other apps.
By now, the dating app has broken away from the elitist character it had until now. Members of The Inner Circle are also given the opportunity to organize events themselves. It not only fuels the community spirit, but primarily realizes the app's mission: to bring like-minded people in contact with each other to create real-life encounters. Thereby, it positions itself distinctively – more premium – than, for instance, Tinder.
Distinctive Content Makes Visibility Sustainable
The question is: is a distinctive proposition newsworthy? The answer: often not. Journalists are not inclined to describe (more than once) why your business idea is different and interesting. In other words: newsworthy content is needed to remain visible to your target audience. Thought leadership content makes the difference here; this form of content ensures sustainable visibility.
Therefore, The Inner Circle came up with a set of dating etiquette, featuring eight 'dating commandments'. The goal: to make dating more enjoyable and to be seen as an expert in the field of dating. If every online dater would adhere to these, online dating would be a lot more fun, safer, and nicer. Even more so: The Inner Circle encourages competitors to adopt the online dating etiquette. Here are the eight commandments:
- Be real
- Be honest
- Be interactive
- Be well-mannered
- Be respectful
- Be inclusive
- Be kind
- Be trustworthy
- Be vigilant
PR Tip: Good Content Has a Hook
This dating etiquette can hopefully make a difference in the lives of many singles. But for the company to stand out in the media, it needs a hook. A news item often depends on (‘hangs on’) a hook. A hook gives the story urgency, makes it interesting or makes the story worth retelling.
In the case of The Inner Circle, this is the hook: research into the experiences of online daters. The research revealed the following: “One in three men and half of the women have been disappointed by the appearance of their date. The photos we swipe right on often do not match what someone looks like in real life.” Because the photo and reality differ so much, there is urgency. This makes the tip ‘be real’ much more relevant.
Thought Leadership Content Attracts Attention
The Inner Circle managed to gain recognition from RTL News. Let it be an inspiration for your company. How can we explain this PR success? We can learn three things from The Inner Circle:
- The company positions itself as an expert in the field of online dating. The figures from the research show that the company has knowledge about online dating;
- The company expresses its concerns about the current way of online dating. That’s not a commercial message, but one with which they want to make the world a little better. Moreover, bad news is often news (see also the checklist: is this news);
- The company offers a solution that everyone can use, free of charge. Namely: use our dating etiquette.
Such content – thought leadership content – ensures that businesses stand out, even if they are confronted with competitors that are bigger, older, or richer. Let it be a tip for your company if you're looking for ways to claim your expert status. If you find it difficult to convince your colleagues of the importance of PR, then read about how PR can increase the value of your company.
