Fruitz, a dating app for Gen Z, agreed to come and meet our students to challenge them at the national competition.
Our bridging-year students in Rennes, Paris and Toulouse had the chance to take part in the annual national challenge. The goal of the exercise: test our students under real conditions and respond to a client brief in a professional setting.
Their mission this year was to answer the challenge set by Lola, social media and brand content manager at Fruitz: how to engage and build loyalty among Gen Z?
Fruitz is a dating app where you choose a fruit — grapes, watermelon, cherry or peach — to express your intentions on the app. One of the leaders in the dating app market in France and worldwide, Fruitz trusted Digital Campus to collaborate on a challenge specific to the company.
Why did Fruitz, a competitor of Tinder, choose Digital Campus to challenge its offering?
"It's because the main target of Fruitz is Gen Z — so 18 to 25 year olds. Which also makes them a student audience. Within the team, we are no longer students ourselves, and we need to know how students perceive Fruitz. Above all, we need to understand how Gen Z as a whole perceives dating apps, perceives dating, the different ways of dating. What are their ideas — since they're the ones we talk to every day and the ones we need to win over too."
Will you implement the winning students' project?
"The team isn't complete at the moment. There are six of us and the project also needs to be approved by the three other people who aren't here. Specifically two people: the founder and the Head of Marketing France. So we can't make a decision right now. We have simply selected our preferred proposal. But we won't be able to make a decision straight away. However, the goal is to implement the solution proposed by the students — if, of course, the founder and the Head of Marketing France approve, with the agreement of the students and the school. That would be fantastic."
Discover the two projects that won the challenge
In 1st place on the podium, the project by the Paris students: Amira, Hermione Adjoua Gervaise, Aicha, Wendy and Romain.
In 2nd place, the project by the Rennes students: Kelly, Belil, Matthias and Amirhossein.
A challenge our students rose to successfully! Lola told us she was delighted with the understanding of the brief and the increasingly creative proposals.
We can't wait to challenge our students again next year with the help of a new brand!
Going further: Why might a global company turn to Digital Campus?
1. At the heart of the demographic target
Young women aged 18 to 25 often make up an essential share of active users on dating platforms. They are generally at the centre of interactions on these apps, and their presence naturally attracts other users. By listening to their needs, a company can adapt its product to better meet their expectations and thus boost activity on the app.
2. Cultural trends and influence — not letting competitors like Tinder or Bumble Inc pull ahead
This age group is often in tune with the latest technological, social and cultural trends. By working closely with them, Fruitz could better understand expectations in terms of features, design and communication. Young women also strongly influence trends on social media and can become natural ambassadors for the app.
3. Creating a safe and tailored dating user experience
Young women aged 18 to 25 are often concerned about their online safety, particularly on dating apps. Fruitz could benefit from a close relationship with them to better understand their concerns around privacy, harassment or safety during dates. By offering a platform that prioritises these aspects, Fruitz could strengthen its brand image as a safe, respectful app.
4. Virality and influencer marketing
Young women in this age group are avid users of social networks such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, where sharing experiences is common. By creating partnerships with influencers or engaged users, Fruitz could enjoy significant organic visibility and attract more young users through authentic, viral recommendations.
5. Development of personalised features — both free and paid
Through close collaboration with young women, Fruitz could identify new features or dating experiences that respond to their desires. For example, personalising dating preferences or adding more specific filters (values, particular interests, etc.) could make the app more attractive for this segment.
6. Anticipating societal changes and which direction to evolve towards
Young women aged 18 to 25 are often at the forefront of social changes and shifts in attitudes around relationships, diversity, inclusivity and new forms of communication. By staying close to this group, Fruitz could better anticipate and adapt to societal shifts that may redefine how young people approach online dating.
7. Long-term loyalty
A company like Fruitz might also see value in building a relationship of trust with these young women in order to retain them over the long term. By ensuring they find a pleasant environment and feel listened to, Fruitz could hope that they remain active on the platform for longer — even beyond this age group — and recommend it to those around them.
In short, a company like Fruitz has every reason to collaborate with young women aged 18 to 25 to attract and maintain an engaged user base, innovate in its features, and strengthen its image as a modern, safe app that is in tune with the expectations of younger generations.
A huge thank you to the entire Fruitz team for their trust and participation.