Month: January 2012

Singles Spend More Than £3 Billion Annually Looking For Love

Posted on January 30, 2012

Match.com logo dalsiDAILYMAIL – Jan 27 – A recent poll of 2,000 singles in Britain’s major cities has found that Brits collectively go on 37M dates a year, spending an average of £47 each time, spending a national average of £1.3 billion on food and drink alone. The dating industry has made a major impact on the UK economy, the study found, revealing that £421M goes towards transportation and another £324M in grooming as people get their hair cut to look their best. The study was commissioned by Match.com and produced by the Centre of Economic Business Research.

by Sadie Whitelocks
See full article at DailyMail

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FriendFinder Networks Implements Cost Reduction Initiative

Posted on January 30, 2012

Ffn logoMARKETWATCH – Jan 25 – Leading internet and technology company FriendFinder Networks Inc. has announced the implementation of a cost reduction initiation to more closely align with its new business model. CEO Marc Bell stated that the company is taking steps to reduce their operating costs as part of their efforts to reorganize their operations. In an effort to reduce operating expenses and increase shareholder value, the company is consolidating their global offices to fewer locations and relocating several operations to their main facility in Sunnyvale, CA.

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

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iDate Demonstrates Shift In Dating Technology

Posted on January 30, 2012

Idate2012 logoFAST COMPANY – Jan 26 – Author Dan Slater, who is writing a book about the online dating industry, attended the iDate Conference in Miami and took a look at the way technology is influencing the way we date online. Things are changing now that one third of America’s 90M singles date online, and it’s no longer the “unspeakable underworld” it once was. Seventeen years ago, when Gary Kremen founded Match.com, anonymity was key to success, protecting people’s privacy and allowing them to reveal their “true identity” on their own terms. In 2007, Zoosk was formed on the basis that the younger generation grew up on technology and the conventional online dating platform was of no interest to them. Zoosk “is for a social life – with dating in mind” where privacy concerns are not as rampant. New sites continue to pop up in the ever-changing industry challenge our notions of privacy and what we should expect going forward. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is right – morality may be divine, but it’s also fickle and shifts in technology make new things possible.

by Dan Slater
See full article at Fast Company

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mopay Launches Payment Platform For Online Dating

Posted on January 30, 2012

Mopay logoPRESS RELEASE – Jan 24 – mopay launched its new payment service customized specifically for the online dating industry at iDate 2012 in Miami. The company has adapted their fast, secure, easy-to-use payment method for online dating sites that can handle single or recurring payments of up to $50. mopay allows users to input either a landline or cell phone number, confirm the number by SMS, and then charge the payment to either of their phone bills to make payments fast and easy, thereby converting visitors to customers at a faster rate. This feature also allows customers without bank accounts to “charge” their membership fees without having to worry about debit or credit cards.

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

SeekingArrangement.com Introduces Anonymous Calling Feature

Posted on January 30, 2012

Seeking arrangement logoPR WEB – Jan 27 – Sugar Daddy dating site SeekingArrangement.com, the largest sugar daddy and sugar baby dating site, has announced the launch of its new anonymous phone calling service named “ICALLU” that allows members to call each other anonymous through a Voice over IP (VoIP) server. According to the site, over 55% of its members are concerned about privacy and giving out their phone number, and 32% of members have had a negative experience after giving out their real phone number to strangers in the past. The new service, which costs 99 cents per minute domestically and $1.99 per minute internationally, will help protect members’ privacy while still allowing them to make a connection over the phone. Founder & CEO Brandon Wade expects the cost of the service to drop over time as more members being using it.

See full article at PR Web

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Illinois Proposed Legislation To “Lower Risks” Of Online Dating

Posted on January 29, 2012

ParagrafCHICAGO TRIBUNE – Jan 26 – Legislation has surfaced in Springfield, Illinois that would require any online dating site operating in or offering services to Illinois residents to announce prominently and repeatedly on their website whether or not they conduct background checks on members. Senator Ira Silverstein is taking a crack at passing the legislation. Though he acknowledges that the bill isn’t fool-proof, he believes it would set up a “new level of consumer protection with dating sites.” Similar laws have passed in Texas and New Jersey.

by Alissa Groeninger
The full article was originally published at Chicago Tribune, but is no longer available.

WotWentWrong Is Break Up App For Bad First Dates

Posted on January 29, 2012

Wotwengwrong logoFAST COMPANY – Jan 25 – Startup web app WotWentWrong has set out to solve the “mystery of why promising new romances ended unexpectedly or successful first dates vanished” by allowing users to provide feedback to each other on exactly what went wrong, hoping improve their own dating karma and help their unsuccessful dates find better luck in the future. Features of the site include the WotWentWrong List, with pre-defined explanations for breaking up with someone, proactive feedback from exes with suggestions for future dates, and anonymous stats that shows your romantic success against others online.

by Austin Carr
See full article at Fast Company

Take Me Out Launches Dating App

Posted on January 29, 2012

Takemeoutflirting logoBROADCAST – Jan 27 – ITV1 entertainment show Take Me Out has launched Take Me Out Flirting, a free dating website and corresponding mobile app, that allows show viewers to set up a profile and chat with potential partners for free. The app has been developed through Handmade Mobile after striking a deal with rights holder Fremantle Media Enterprises. Users will also be able to chat with current and former contestants on the show. The app is currently available for Apple and Android devices with planned versions for Blackberry and Nokia Ovi.

See full article at Broadcast

Manhunt Hits Sydney Billboards

Posted on January 28, 2012

Manhunt sydney billboardMUMBRELLA – Jan 27 – Gay dating website Manhunt has launched a billboard campaign in the Paddington area advertising its new mobile product that helps gay men hook up. The campaign was devised by Pink Media Group, a gay media specialist that also works with gay hook-up app Grindr. Manhunt has 65k users in Australia.

See full article at Mumbrella

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