Month: April 2008

Be2 Uses Online Push For UK launch

Posted on April 23, 2008

Be2_logo NMA.CO.UK — Apr 23 — Be2, the global online matchmaking company, has launched an online advertising campaign to promote its UK launch. The campaign, which was created by Blowfish Digital, includes online advertising, virals, social marketing across Facebook, Bebo and search. Be2 claims to be the world's largest matchmaking company with more than 7.5m members across 24 countries. In the UK it intends to compete with dating sites such as Match.com and Dating Direct.

The full article was originally published at NMA.co.uk, but is no longer available.

WooMe Woos With Video Dating

Posted on April 23, 2008

Woome_logo GUARDIAN.CO.UK — Apr 22 — Founded in December 2006, WooMe combines online dating with video chat. Chief executive Stephen Stokols explains his big ambitions for the site.

Q: Explain your business to my Mum.
A: WooMe is a live introductions platform that leverages a speed-dating model to let users meet each other via voice and video. Meet five people in five minutes and decide who woo'd you.

Q: How do you make money?
A: If two people mutually woo each other, they pay $1 to get their contact info.

Q: How many users do you have now, and what's your target within 12 months?
A: Target in 12 months = 1m users. Existing registered user numbers are in six figures.

Q: What's your biggest challenge?
A: Keeping up with the user growth. 

Q: Name your competitors.
A: No direct competition.

The full article was originally published at Guardian.co.uk, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: Speeddate.com is the main competition.

iDate In Tokyo

Posted on April 22, 2008

Idate_logo_2008 MARKET WIRE — Apr 22 — The 4th annual Far East Internet Dating Conference (iDate) will be held on May 8-9, 2008 in Tokyo at the Palace Hotel Tokyo. The conference will focus on technology, business models, marketing and management for the online personals industry in the Far East and Asia. Speakers at this event include executives from major Japanese technology companies such as: Microsoft, SocialNetworking.jp, Gemini Mobile Technologies, Nomura Research Institute, Cybermedia, Intercasting, StickyEyes, Beat Communication, Global Personals, White Label Dating, World Dating Partners, and Online Personals Watch.

The full article was originally published at Earth Times, but is no longer available.

Singles Choose Love Over Money

Posted on April 22, 2008

True_logo SUN HERALD — Apr 22 — A nationwide love and money survey by TRUE.com found out that singles choose love over money. The results from 2,286 respondents tell an eye-opening story:
– 95% of men and 87% of women agree that it does not matter if you make more money than the person you are dating
– 87% of men and 80% of women would stay in a relationship where their partner had filed for bankruptcy
– 67% of women and 66% of men never kept financial secrets from someone they are dating
– 64% of men and 63% of women don’t tend to argue with their partner about money.

When respondents were asked what topics couples should talk more about (including money, sex, marriage, parenting or nothing), results show that men and women have different priorities when it comes to discussing sex or money. Men rated sex #1, followed by nothing, with money in third place. Women put money talk in the top spot.

OnlineBootyCall.com Gives Members Big Booty

Posted on April 22, 2008

Onlinebootycall_logo EARTHTIMES — Apr 22 – OnlineBootyCall.com is giving away nearly half a million dollars in cash and prizes to its members for referring their friends to OBC. Every month, OBC gives $500 to ten members who participate in the referral contest. The member with the top referrals for the month receives $1,000 in cash. "We prefer rewarding our members rather than dumping the money into ads," boasted Mo Brown, CEO of OnlineBootyCall.com.

The full article was originally published at Earth Times, but is no longer available.

SNAP Releases First Quarter Revenues

Posted on April 22, 2008

Snapinteractive_logo CNN MONEY — Apr 21 — SNAP announced revenues in excess of $518,000 in the first quarter of 2008. This is compared to revenues of approximately $388,000 in the fourth quarter in 2007. The increase in revenue is attributed to the continued growth and popularity of SNAP's social networking applications. SNAP's dating applications averaged over 1m visits per day in the 1st quarter of 2008 and combine for over 11m installations.

The full article was originally published at CNN Money, but is no longer available.

Keep An Eye On Your Wallet

Posted on April 21, 2008

Romancescams_logo
CNN — Apr 21 — With the increased interest in Internet dating comes more people
willing to prey on those looking for love online. Barb Sluppick runs RomanceScams.org, a Web site dedicated to
helping victims of romance fraud, like herself. The site has
had more than 30,000 members since its start in June 2005. Of her 30,000 members, 883 people
have reported their financial losses. They add up to over $8m. There were 206,884 complaints regarding Internet fraud last year,
costing victims more than $239m, according to the FBI Internet
Crime Report. FULL ARTICLE @ CNN

Mark Brooks: What is your internet dating site doing to combat scammers? Your comments please…

OnlineBootyCall: No Strings Attached

Posted on April 18, 2008

Onlinebootycall_logo THE MORNING SHOW — Apr 18 — Mo Brown is the founder and CEO of OnlineBootyCall.com, the internet dating community for singles who enjoy being single. When Mo Brown was in his 20's he found a unique way to keep track of all the women in his life by creating an online black book. After founding OnlineBootyCall.com Brown created the patented Booty Call Commandments. Fittingly the first commandment is: "Thou shalt get out before the sun rises." A key OnlineBootyCall.com selling point is: "You don't have to promise marriage, just get a date!" And it works because the internet dating site makes millions of personal connections every week.

The Gay Man’s Search For Sex And Love Online

Posted on April 18, 2008

K_clanku_z_gay_wired GAY WIRED — Apr 17 — According to the latest research from the LOGO Channel, 48% of gay men are looking for "love" on line. In the gay world, looks and hookups often seem much more important than actual compatibility. Manhunt.net may be known to most as an online bathhouse, but it still markets itself as a dating service. Adam4Adam.com, is a little less overt about being a hook up site. They allow members to write a profile about likes and dislikes and post pictures that leave very little to the imagination. Love can be found on the Web, to be sure… but as these Websites show, sometimes, gay men seem to be going for the easy out.

The full article was originally published at Gay Wired, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: Say, don't forget myPartner.com! myPartner is more serious and long term focused. (Disclosure: myPartner is a client of Courtland Brooks)   

See all posts on myPartner

Professional Matchmaker Makes Dating Less Of A Chase

Posted on April 18, 2008

Julie_ferman_working CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR — Apr 17 — There are 1,500 independent matchmakers in the US, with sales of $250m in 2006. Being good at making realistic love matches takes honesty, sensitivity, social savvy, and intuition. Julie Ferman has a proven track record. In eight years, her business – Cupid's Coach – has paired 100 couples who married or are still together. Decades of matchmaking have given Ferman insight into human nature. But Ferman has been surprised, for instance, by older women determined to date young men, and older men who don't understand why much younger women won't say yes to a date. The toughest clients aren't fat or bald. They're the unhappy ones looking for a relationship to make them happy. FULL ARTICLE @ CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR