Hello Group Inc. (MOMO): Marketing Mix Analysis [Dec-2025 Updated]

You're looking for a quick, authoritative breakdown of Hello Group Inc.'s marketing mix, mapping their core strategy as we head into 2026. After two decades watching this space, I can tell you that for Hello Group Inc., the story in late 2025 isn't about reinventing the wheel; it's about squeezing every drop from their established Product-Momo and Tantan-by doubling down on high-margin virtual gifting within the PRC's Place. Their Promotion is pure digital muscle, focusing on content creators and KOLs, while the Price remains a classic freemium play, aiming to push that Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU) north of $50 annually. Honestly, understanding how these four levers interact now is key to spotting where the next growth hurdle-or risk-lies for this social giant.

Hello Group Inc. (MOMO) - Marketing Mix: Product

The core product offering from Hello Group Inc. is the Momo social networking platform. This platform's monetization relies heavily on its live-streaming and social entertainment ecosystem. As of the first quarter of 2025, the Momo app had 4.2 million total paying users, a significant drop from 7.1 million in the same period of 2024.

The secondary product is the Tantan dating application. Tantan has shown a consistent decline in user engagement and monetization. Its Monthly Active Users (MAU) were reported at 10.7 million in March 2025, compared to 13.7 million in March 2024. For the second quarter of 2025, paying users on Tantan were 700K, representing a 30.0% year-over-year decrease.

Primary monetization is centered on live video and virtual gifting services, which Hello Group Inc. now reports combined with other value-added services. Total value-added service revenues for the second quarter of 2025 reached RMB2,579.3 million (US$360.1 million). This figure represented a 2.6% decrease from the RMB2,648.3 million generated in the second quarter of 2024. In the third quarter of 2024, revenue from live video services alone fell 16% year-over-year to RMB1.29 billion.

Value-added services (VAS) also encompass premium subscriptions and membership features. For the first quarter of 2025, total VAS revenues were RMB2,489.9 million (US$343.1 million). The company is seeing substantial growth in its international segment, with VAS overseas revenue for the second quarter of 2025 hitting RMB440.7 million, marking a 73% year-over-year increase.

The focus on developing new interactive features is evident in product updates. For instance, the Momo app rolled out an in-house developed AI greeting feature and continued testing an AI chat assistant during the second quarter of 2025, which management noted drove an increase in multiround conversations. Specific financial data for new casual games is not explicitly detailed in the latest reports, but overseas revenue growth is a key product strategy driver.

Here is a snapshot of key product-related financial metrics for the first half of 2025:

The company maintained a strong liquidity position, with cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash totaling RMB12,390.6 million (US$1,729.7 million) as of June 30, 2025.

Hello Group Inc. (MOMO) - Marketing Mix: Place

The distribution strategy for Hello Group Inc. (MOMO) is fundamentally anchored to digital channels, reflecting its identity as a mobile-first social and entertainment platform.

Primary market remains the People's Republic of China (PRC). The domestic market continues to be the overwhelming source of revenue, even as international segments accelerate their growth rate. The operational focus remains heavily weighted toward the PRC user base for the core Momo and Tantan applications.

The revenue concentration clearly illustrates the domestic reliance as of the second quarter of 2025:

For the first quarter of 2025, the Chinese Mainland revenue ratio was reported at 88.92%.

Distribution is mainly through major mobile app stores (iOS, Android). As a mobile application-based service, accessibility is dictated by the primary digital storefronts. The performance of the portfolio is directly tied to the visibility and download success within these ecosystems.

• Momo App Total Paying Users (Q1 2025): 4.2 million
• Tantan App Paying Users (Q2 2025): 0.7 million
• Tantan App Monthly Active Users (June 2025): 10.2 million

Tantan targets a younger, international user base for expansion. While Tantan's user base is still predominantly domestic, the company's overall international push is a key distribution focus for future growth, evidenced by the aggressive year-over-year growth rates in overseas revenue.

The growth trajectory for the international segment is a significant factor in the overall distribution strategy:

• Overseas Revenue Year-over-Year Growth (Q2 2025): 72.7%
• Overseas Revenue Year-over-Year Growth (Q1 2025): 72%
• Full Year 2025 Overseas Revenue Growth Target: Around 70%
• Estimated Overseas Revenue for Full Year 2025: RMB 1.7 billion to RMB 2 billion

Operations are centralized in Beijing, China. The core administrative and operational functions that manage this global distribution network are consolidated in the capital city.

The corporate office address is listed as:

No. 1, Futong East Street; Wangjing 19th Floor, Tower B, Wangjing, Chaoyang District; Beijing, 100020; China.

Digital distribution ensures global accessibility, but revenue is China-centric. The nature of app distribution allows for global reach, as seen by the revenue contribution from overseas markets, which is expected to continue growing its share of the total top line.

The expected revenue mix for the third quarter of 2025 reflects this ongoing dynamic:

The overseas revenue contribution for the first half of 2025 totaled US$57.1 million in Q1 2025 and US$61.8 million in Q2 2025.

Hello Group Inc. (MOMO) - Marketing Mix: Promotion

You're looking at the promotion strategy for Hello Group Inc. (MOMO) as of late 2025, and the story is clearly one of strategic reallocation, not blanket spending. The company is definitely prioritizing digital channels, which is evident in the cost management across its core domestic platforms.

Heavy reliance on in-app promotions and feature placements is a core tenet, especially as the company focuses on stabilizing the core Momo app ecosystem. Management's goal for Momo is to maintain the productivity of this cash cow business with a healthy social ecosystem. Product enhancements, such as the rollout of an in-house AI algorithm to generate personalized greetings, directly serve as a form of in-app promotion by increasing user response rates. This focus on organic engagement through product features is a less costly, more sustainable form of promotion than broad advertising.

User acquisition driven by performance-based digital advertising is where the nuance lies. The overall strategy is ROI-oriented. For instance, in Q1 2025, user acquisition channels were trimmed for improved Return on Investment (ROI). This suggests a highly analytical, performance-based approach where spend is tightly controlled and measured against user conversion and lifetime value.

The financial outlay for this strategy is reflected in the reported expenses. Here's the quick math on the sales and marketing investment for the first half of 2025:

The year-over-year trend in spending shows a clear domestic cost-cutting measure. The year-over-year decrease in sales and marketing expenses in Q2 2025 was directly attributable to the ongoing cost control strategy for the PRC Mainland businesses.

Cross-promotion between the Momo and Tantan platforms is now managed under a unified structure, as the company implemented a strategic decision in Q1 2025 to integrate the operations of Momo, Tantan, and QOOL into a single business structure. While direct cross-promotion figures aren't public, this consolidation suggests internal resource sharing and potentially more efficient, platform-agnostic digital campaigns, though Tantan specifically saw a further reduction in marketing spend to maintain profitability.

Regarding content creators and traditional spend, the data points to a strong digital bias:

• The cost control for domestic platforms like Tantan is a key component of the strategy.
• The decrease in overall sales and marketing spend was partially offset by the increase in channel reinvestment for the overseas apps.
• This overseas reinvestment, which supports triple-digit growth in some new brands and strong growth for Soulchill, is the primary driver of current marketing dollars, indicating a focus on high-growth digital channels internationally.

The emphasis on digital channels is defintely key, as the narrative of reduced domestic marketing spend contrasts sharply with the accelerated growth and associated channel reinvestment in international markets. This suggests that any focus on content creators and key opinion leaders (KOLs) for live video is likely concentrated within the overseas portfolio, where growth investment is occurring, rather than in the cost-controlled domestic segment.

Hello Group Inc. (MOMO) - Marketing Mix: Price

Monetization for Hello Group Inc. (MOMO) is rooted in a freemium model across its application portfolio.

Live video revenue is driven by virtual gift purchases, which are considered a high-margin item. Total Value-Added Service revenues for the second quarter of 2025 were RMB 2.58 billion. The purchase of virtual gifts by users for content creators is the real financial engine of this revenue stream.

Subscription fees for Tantan VIP and Momo premium services are tiered, with management actively restructuring membership packages and refining operations to improve Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). COO Zhang noted the use of city-tier pricing strategies for Tantan users identified as having high paying potential to boost paying conversion and ARPU.

Average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) is a key metric, trending above $50 annually [cite: 50-59].

The pricing strategy is dynamic, adjusting to local market competition and user demand. Management explicitly mentioned restructuring membership packages and using differentiated product design and pricing schemes to drive ARPU growth in Q2 2025. Furthermore, the company is driving rapid revenue growth in overseas markets, which accounted for RMB 442 million in Q2 2025 revenue, up 73% year-over-year.

Key monetization and user metrics related to pricing:

• Momo App Paying Users (Q2 2025): 3.5 million.
• Tantan Paying Users (Q2 2025): 0.7 million.
• Total Paying Users (Q1 2025): 5.0 million (4.2 million on Momo, 0.8 million on Tantan).
• Total VAS Revenue (Q1 2025): RMB 2,489.9 million (US$343.1 million).
• Tantan MAU (March 2025): 10.7 million.

Here's a quick look at the revenue composition and implied per-user value based on Q1 2025 data: