Dating app introduces 'I’m vaccinated' badge & special stack on users profile

As COVID-19 cases start to recede amid the second wave and life for people in India unlocks bringing forth the changing realities of a new normal, there is a marked increase in conversations around getting vaccinated. OkCupid dating app has just released an “I’m Vaccinated” profile badge and special stack to help users make informed choices about their dating lives. This decision has been taken keeping the users' priorities in mind and helping them match over what matters most to them. Between March and June 2021, OkCupid profile bios in India saw a huge 763% increase in conversations around COVID-19 vaccines and their relevance to daters while selecting a match for themselves.

With the new vaccination policy for those in the 18 to 44 years age bracket being announced in the country, OkCupid witnessed a staggering increase in conversations around vaccines. Currently, it is the most important thing on people’s minds right now as they try to adjust to a new normal. In order to make it easier for users to declare their status and expectation from a partner, OkCupid has launched the 'I'm Vaccinated' badge. This badge will let individuals announce their vaccination status on their profile and also join the vaccinated stack which helps them match with like-minded love interests who have taken the jab.

Activated by declaring one’s vaccination status on the app, the 'I'm vaccinated' badge appears in the profile and is expected to result in a 35% increase in match rate with others who are either vaccinated or getting vaccinated soon. For the ones who have not had a chance to get vaccinated yet but are open to it, OkCupid will help with medically verified information on http://okcupid.knowthevaccine.com/. to encourage them to get the jab. 

Anukool Kumar, Marketing Director at OkCupid talked about the announcement and said OkCupid has always been a platform that empowers users to find their kind of a partner based on shared interests, quirks, and beliefs, as love is best experienced with a partner on the same wavelength.

"With over 3000 questions at the heart of the product and more added in a timely manner, we ensure all relevant subjects that matter most to millennial Indians are addressed by the app. With vaccination being the most important point of conversation today, we felt a responsibility to help daters who have gotten vaccinated or want to get the vaccine match with others who believe the same as it is a matter of health and safety. Hence to make it easier for our users to find a potential match who believes in the benefit of getting vaccinated, we introduced the ‘I’m vaccinated’ badge and stack as an endeavour to help people make informed decisions, especially in their search for love," said Anukool Kumar.

Among OkCupid’s Indian daters, people who answered ‘YES’ to the question “will you get the Covid-19 vaccine” received 25% more likes and resulted in a far higher number of conversations than those who answered 'NO'. In these tough times, daters are clearly prioritizing health and safety in their quest to find love and will not leave anything to chance when it comes to the dreaded virus. Women are more cautious, as expected, with over 41% of the female users stating that anti-vaxxers are not even a consideration for them as a potential partner. 

OkCupid gathered data and insights in order to understand how much the vaccine impacts the dating lives of millennials:

1. When asked ‘Will you take the Covid-19 vaccine?’

As of June 2021, 69% of men and 71% of women answered that yes they would take the vaccine giving hope that we would put this pandemic behind us soon. Compared to only 15% men and 13% women who admitted to being averse to the idea of getting themselves vaccinated against Covid-19. 
 
2. When asked 'Would you cancel a date with someone who didn't want to take the Covid-19 vaccine?'
45% of women would cancel their date in case their potential partner is opposed to the idea of taking a vaccine shot, clearly not leaving anything to chance. After all, health over everything else! However, it was interesting to find that 69% of the men, a large majority, were very much willing to go on a date with someone who won't take the vaccine as well. 

(Image Credits: OkCupid)