Non-committals out, real matches in: Shaadi.com bets on long-term commitment

Adhish Zaveri, VP - marketing shares strategy behind campaign, insights behind the launch of its new offering and more.

We've all heard that 'Matches are made in heaven.' But does this hold any significance for Gen Z, who are seeking their matches on dating apps with a right swipe?

Shaadi.com, a leading matchmaking platform, has launched a new campaign titled Red Flags Se Savdhaan. The campaign takes a humorous jab at dating apps and the types of people encountered on these platforms.

Focusing on the commitment-phobic culture prevalent in dating apps, the campaign sheds light on the challenges women face in finding genuinely committed partners.

The 35-second advert features Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and a prominent figure from Shark Tank India. The campaign was conceptualised by Moonshot, a creative agency known for its viral campaigns for brands such as CRED, Lenskart, and Boldcare.

According to the company, the modern dating scene is fraught with issues like ghosting, situationships, and commitment phobia.

Adhish Zaveri, VP - marketing at Shaadi.com, states that there is a significant pool of older millennials and younger Gen-Z individuals who are now entering the phase of seeking life partners. Unlike previous generations, who often found love through personal references or schools/colleges, this cohort has embraced dating app culture.

“The timing was ideal to modernise Shaadi.com as a platform relevant for this generation,” he says. According to him, dating apps are intentionally designed to discourage commitment. Once a user commits to someone, they no longer need the app, which impacts the app's business model relying on a continuous user base.

“On the contrary, our platform is positioned to address this concern by ensuring that the intent of signing up is to find a committed life partner,” he highlights.

Zaveri, who has been with the company since 2018, adds that the advertisement was relatable to parents as well, as they have witnessed their children navigating through challenging relationships and heartbreaks.

On the platform, 80% of registrations are done by singles, while 20% are done by parents.

The ad targets groups who have experienced failure in dating apps, such as commitment issues, pitching the idea that Shaadi.com can be a solution for them. Additionally, it also targets people who have not gone through issues personally but have seen their friends go through them.

“The strong narratives on social media about anti-commitment, flings, and hookup culture on dating apps further reinforce this message. We are positioning ourselves against this trend, advocating for genuine commitment and long-term relationships," he mentions.

With this ad, Shaadi.com is not competing with any dating apps like Tinder, Bumble or Hinge. Zaveri believes that the target group of dating apps is from the 16-24 years age group, whereas Shaadi.com's target group starts from 25 years, now often closer to 30 years.

The film depicts a couple on a date at a restaurant. As the woman begins to discuss their two-year relationship and the prospect of making it "official," the man signals his discomfort by handing a gun to a nearby waiter.

When she mentions meeting the parents, the waiter fires a shot in the air, prompting the man to dash towards the exit, leaving the woman embarrassed. Seated at the next table, Anupam Mittal turns to the woman and advises her to avoid those who fear commitment.

Mittal has been featured in multiple campaigns for the brand. In 2022, he reenacted the company’s social media journey. In 2023, he appeared dressed as a superhero in a campaign.

Mittal is one of the sharks from Shark Tank India. He has around 18 lakh followers on Instagram.

Zaveri jokingly remarks that having Mittal in the ad gives them a free celebrity mileage.

He adds that it's rare for a tech company to have such a recognisable face. Mittal's presence in the ads helps to associate a face with Shaadi.com for its users.

Media-mix-wise, the campaign is primarily digital with supplementary television ads to reach the target demographic, including parents.

Demographically, the average age of sign-up on the platform was 26 years; now it is closer to 28 years. These changes can be attributed to individuals waiting to achieve financial independence before deciding to marry.

In the international market, Shaadi.com positions itself as a serious dating platform for individuals in India and South Asia.

During a previous discussion with afaqs! in 2023, Zaveri mentioned, 'The factor that distinguishes Shaadi.com from dating apps like Tinder and Bumble in the global market is that casual dating is prevalent worldwide. However, Shaadi.com positions itself as a serious dating platform.'

Also Read: Shaadi.com pitches itself as a dating platform for ‘desis’ in the US, UK, Canada and UAE

In 2015, Shaadi.com bought the dating application Frill. In 2016, the platform also acquired Frivil, a mobile-based dating app. Currently, neither of them is operational.

Focus on the South market 

The platform has witnessed healthy growth in the southern markets over the last two to three years.

Additionally, there has been significant growth from tier 2 and 3 towns, outpacing Tier 1 cities in terms of growth.

He mentions that parental involvement in the matchmaking process is higher in the South compared to other markets. “These communities are regionally cohesive, with higher literacy rates and greater tech-savviness.”

He highlights the high demand in South markets for NRI engineers and individuals working in IT companies.

VIP Shaadi.com 

Shaadi.com has launched a new service, VIP Shaadi.com, to promote its personalised and exclusive matchmaking process for the elite audience.

To promote it, the brand has released a TV advert featuring actor Ronit Roy.

The pricing of Shaadi.com starts from Rs 3,000-4,000 quarterly, whereas VIP Shaadi.com starts from Rs 39,999 quarterly.

The new service includes a consultant who acts as an intermediary to set up meetings, find matches, etc.

“When users sign up on Shaadi.com, they create a profile and manage it themselves. However, with VIP Shaadi, a consultant helps curate matches and arrange meetings, ensuring a certain quality promise,” he adds.

The elite service is largely used by parents who find it comfortable to converse with a dedicated consultant in the matchmaking process.

"Our approach for VIPShaadi.com is distinctly tailored due to the affluence and the predominant involvement of parents rather than singles. We focus on targeting households within a certain income bracket and emphasise parental engagement in our media mix,” he adds.

The new service prioritises 100% privacy, as many affluent individuals prefer discretion regarding their profiles.