Aisle Network’s Riya Sawant on what no longer works for Valentine’s marketing

Valentine’s Day remains one of the most charged moments for dating platforms, historically seen as a period when singles get active, and apps compete fiercely for attention. 

But recent mobile app trend report from 2025 suggest a more nuanced reality for the category. According to industry analytics, dating app installs experienced a year-over-year decline of around 13% between January 2023 and December 2024. Yet active users in the dating category are spending more time in apps as sessions grew in February 2023 and continued to increase in February 2024. Similarly, in 2025, dating apps have reported a noticeable spike in app traffic since the beginning of February, indicating a pre-Valentine rush.

Valentine’s, then, may be shifting from a volume game to an intent game.

In a swipe-saturated market obsessed with velocity, Aisle has built its positioning around something slower, commitment. For Riya Sawant, Brand Lead – Aisle Network, the occasion is less about chasing installs and more about reinforcing what the brand stands for.

“Valentine's Day represents a meaning-making moment rather than a transactional spike for Aisle.”

That philosophy extends to budget allocation. Valentine’s does not trigger reactive overspending. Instead, it fits within an always-on brand framework.

“Valentine's doesn't command a disproportionate budget allocation. Dating is year-round, but loneliness peaks during Valentine's, our strategy reflects this reality.”

That framing sets the tone for how the brand approaches its biggest cultural moment of the year, not as a pressure point for downloads, but as a time when conversations around commitment, clarity and emotional intention naturally intensify.

She notes that when a brand’s value proposition inherently filters for intent, it naturally avoids the worst bidding wars.

How ‘date to marry’ narrative becomes the brand strategy

Aisle has consistently positioned itself as a ‘date to marry’ platform. But in a crowded and culturally sensitive space, that positioning risks sounding moralistic, something the brand consciously avoids.

“We don't moralise behavior, we reflect user reality through data and lived experience.”

The platform leans on insights from its proprietary Commitment Decade Report, which highlights a clear shift: 90% of women across Gen Z and Millennials reject casual dating; 1 in 3 Millennials want to marry within the next year; emotional maturity and consistent communication top the list of relationship priorities.

Instead of instructing users how to date, the brand mirrors what its users are already feeling.

“We're not preaching or influencing user behaviour, we're simply aligned with a generation ready to date with the intention, not exhaustion.”

That tone extends into KPIs as well. While February typically becomes an install-driven race for many platforms, Aisle says its north star remains constant.

“Our singular KPI is enabling love and real love stories.”

From higher-intent onboarding to meaningful conversations powered by prompts and ice-breakers, February metrics prioritise depth over scale. 

Safety, trust and the long game of brand equity

In India, trust continues to be one of online dating’s biggest barriers. Sawant shares that for Aisle, safety is embedded into the product and communication strategy.

She says, “Safety is an always-on pillar, not just a seasonal talking point.”

With AI and human verification, a 50% approval rate, and a women-first design (including free premium plans for women), the messaging focuses less on fear and more on autonomy.

“We don't amplify fear - we amplify control, autonomy, and confidence.”

Beyond immediate conversions, Valentine’s is viewed as a long-term brand-building opportunity.

“Valentine's creates memory structures. Done right, people may not install immediately—but they remember what Aisle stood for when they're ready.”

The next phase of dating marketing

As Gen Z enters the serious-dating cohort, Aisle sees a structural shift in how dating apps will need to market themselves.

“The next phase of dating marketing will be: Less aspirational, more emotionally honest.”

According to the brand’s research, 45.3% of Gen Z consider therapy a green flag, and 75.6% seek serious relationships. Notably, 68.6% of Gen Z women reject AI-only matchmaking, signalling a desire for authenticity and human validation.

The marketing implication? Move away from gamified engagement and algorithmic promises.

“The future favours platforms that facilitate genuine connection over gamified engagement.”

If Valentine’s once belonged to urgency, discounts and download spikes, the category now appears to be entering a more reflective phase. The data suggests fewer impulse installs, but deeper engagement. 

In a market often accused of commercialising love, the sharper differentiation may not come from louder campaigns or inflated February budgets, but from consistency of belief. Valentine’s, in that sense, becomes less a sales window and more a cultural checkpoint, a moment to reinforce what a platform stands for.