• Grindr named SAMY agency of record for US and global influencer marketing, in a release datelined Miami on 22 October 2026.
  • SAMY separately won Grindr's Latin America social media brief, starting with Mexico and Brazil.
  • Grindr's Q2 2026 revenue was $138M, up 33%; Bumble's fell 15.2% to $210.5M.
  • Start date, contract value, incumbent and pitch field were not disclosed.

Grindr (GRND) has appointed social-first agency SAMY as its agency of record for US and global influencer marketing, according to a release datelined Miami on 22 October 2026. In a separate appointment, SAMY is also Grindr's social media agency across Latin America, following a competitive pitch. The release did not disclose a start date, contract value, incumbent agency or the other pitch participants.

The influencer mandate covers ongoing editorial content, activations led by the community and big cultural moments in the US and globally. The Latin America brief focuses first on Mexico and Brazil, including local IP development and Pride celebrations. DecisionMarketing's write-up says SAMY handles 'worldwide activity, as well as that in the US and also Latin America', which is looser than the release's two-part split.

The DII Take

This is a sensible, unflashy move from a company growing from strength. Grindr is putting an agency of record behind a playbook it has already tested, and splitting Latin America out is a sign it wants local voices rather than one global register. The open question is cost: Grindr has not said what it is paying, or when the mandate starts.

A track record already on the books

SAMY has already supported Grindr's global Pride tour and the Madonna pop-up in Times Square, which took place on 4 June 2026, according to a Business Wire release. The appointment release credits that activation with 3.2 million video views and more than 174,000 social media engagements.

Grindr's Q2 letter says operating expenses excluding cost of revenue rose to $71M from $53M, partly from higher one-time marketing expense tied to the Madonna partnership. Revenue in the quarter was $138M, up 33%, and Grindr raised full-year guidance to roughly $540M.

The appointment release credits that activation with 3.2 million video views and more than 174,000 social media engagements.

Rivals spend differently, and what to watch

Bumble's Q1 10-Q shows selling and marketing expense of $26.96M, down from $59.73M, which it attributes to a shift from paid acquisition towards brand and organic investment. Its Q2 revenue fell 15.2%, and its CFO said it is now deliberately investing across product, technology and brand. Bumble also plans to drop swiping in select markets from Q4 2026.

Netinfluencer reports that SAMY is majority-owned by private equity firm Bridgepoint and active in more than 55 markets. Grindr's marketing line in coming quarters may offer the first sign of what the SAMY mandate costs.

  • Grindr's SAMY appointment formalises influencer and social work that already supported its Pride tour and the Madonna Times Square event.
  • Grindr and Bumble are both leaning on brand spend, from opposite financial positions: 33% revenue growth versus a 15.2% decline.
  • Grindr's operating expenses in coming quarters may show whether the agency commitment weighs on margins.

Sources: Grindr Appoints SAMY As US & Global Influencer Marketing Agency Of Record (Roastbrief US); Grindr Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Revenue Growth of 33% (Grindr Inc. / SEC); Grindr Q2 2026 Letter to Shareholders (Grindr Inc. / SEC); Motha Descends on NYC: Grindr and Madonna Team up (Grindr / Business Wire via Yahoo Finance); Bumble Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Bumble Inc.); Bumble Inc. Form 10-Q for quarter ended 31 March 2026 (Bumble Inc. / SEC); Grindr jumps into bed with SAMY for global love match (DecisionMarketing); Grindr Appoints SAMY as Global Agency of Record for Influencer Marketing (Netinfluencer)