DYNAMIC BUSINESS – Apr 4 – Since joining eHarmony in 2009, Chuck has
overseen eHarmony's successful launch into the Australian market,
growing the number of registered users to ~1.5M in five years.
Q: Were there any changes that needed to be made to the US model?
A:
At first, we decided to launch in Perth only to test it. Although the
feedback was mostly positive, we realised that we need to localise the
brand. Parading happy couples on TV was a little too much for
Australians, they wanted to understand more about the shared
experiences.
Q: What are some of the main differences between Australians and people from other countries?
A:
In Japan, things like your blood type has to be a part of your
profile. Aussies prefer more shared experiences with their partners.
Whereas in the US, they’re more content with a partner with whom they
don’t need to share that many hobbies.
Q: How did you go about marketing and advertising in Australia?
A: We have TV ads, SEM (Search Engine Marketing), and social networks.
Q: What is the science behind compatibility and how are you incorporating that into eHarmony?
A:
It’s really about finding that balance between science and that spark.
We’ve analysed tens of thousands of relationships. Over time, we built
Compatibility Model which is part of our compatibility matching system.
The dimensions of compatibility include things like your values, your
energy levels, your need for sharing interests, how you resolve conflict
and your sexual passions.
Q: What does the future hold for eHarmony in Australia?
A: Right
now, mobile is a big thing. One of the products we have on the desktop
is called Secure Call which allows you to telephone your matches without
giving away your phone number, so maybe in the future we could turn
that into video chat without giving away too much information.
by Tasnuva Bindi
See full article at Dynamic Business
iDating revenues are flat in the USA now. The opportunity is abroad.
iDating revenues are flat in the USA now. The opportunity is abroad.