NY POST – Feb 8 – Melissa Midwest, recently replaced part-time model Yuliana Avalos in heading a class-action suit accusing Match.com of posting fake dating profiles to attract paying members. In the amended $4.5B suit filed Jan. 27, Melissa claims she never joined the site and that her copyrighted photos have been used. The suit was originally filed on behalf in Avalos in November, and it then asked for $1.5B in compensatory and punitive damages.
Month: February 2014
Survey: Communication Habits In Relationships
CRICKET – Feb 15 – A Cricket Wireless' national survey reveals how Americans interact with their loved ones.
- 30% would ask someone out via SMS
- 51% research Facebook before going out on a date
- 81% say not to taking "selfies" on a first date
Also see what are the most annyoing communication habits in relationships. Link to the video.
Mark Brooks: Kate@Ogilvy tells me Cricket surveyed 1200 consumers for this survey.
Dating Addiction: The Dark Side Of Online Dating
MSN NEWS – Feb 14 – Therapists say increasing numbers of Britons are becoming obsessed with searching for relationships online. Helen Harris, a therapist for over 20 years, believes that an obsession with finding a partner is similar to a gambling addiction. British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) has warned against vulnerable people turning to the sites. Some people are looking for confirmation of their acceptability and attractiveness.
by Nadeem Badshah
See full article at MSN News
Sam Yagan Speaks About Tinder On Bloomberg
BLOOMBERG – Feb 14 - Match.com CEO Sam Yagan explains how Tinder works, the growth of online dating and why Match.com decided to launch its couples app Delightful.
The full article was originally published at Bloomberg, but is no longer available.
See all posts on Match.com
See all posts on Delightful
See all posts on Tinder
Flirtsee Is A New Card Based Dating Site
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK – Feb 14 – Flirtsee is a card system. When people sign up, they get a batch of cards with a unique ID number on and can dish them out to anyone they like the look of. The recipient can then log on to the site, enter the card's ID number, view the person's profile and start chatting to them if they like what they see. Five cards cost £9.99 and grant members a month of access. It's free for those who've been granted a card.
Users Surprised Their Profiles Are Being Shared On Multiple Dating Sites
CBC – Feb 14 – Global Personals is powering ~13K dating sites around the globe with 30M customers. One user signed up for a seniors' dating site and found herself on Toyboy.com, a site for successful ladies and young men. By joining one of Global Personals sites, users agree to the terms of use that say their profile may be available to users of other partner sites.
eHarmony Releases Datebook App For iPhone
ITWIRE – Feb 14 - eHarmony has released a new feature to its iPhone app called Datebook which helps users plan, manage and track their dates with anyone, not just other eHarmony members. Datebook doubles as a diary, capturing personal dating history and private ratings.
Singles Spend $82B A Year On Dating
CNBC – Feb 14 – According to Match.com latest survey, 31% of respondents met their last date online, versus 25% who met their date through a friend and 8% who met through work. The average single spends ~$61.53 a month on dating related activities, or $738.36 each year. With 111M singles in the U.S. alone, this means the dating industry in North America alone is worth $82B.
Dating Sites Start Wooing Couples
BUSINESSWEEK – Feb 13 – The paradox of online-dating industry: Success and customer retention are incompatible. So HowAboutWe started HowAboutWe for Couples, that suggests activities for couples. IAC has also been looking for a solution to “lifecycle management” for some time. “A lot of people think we should start a wedding business,’” says Sam Yagan, CEO of IAC’s Match Group. “The problem is that users leave Match after they find someone, and it’s years before they get married. We lose our right to communicate with them.” Match.com launched couples website, Delightful, in October, with a companion app released last month. Delightful is built around access to date planners. It has hired people with experience as tour guides, restaurateurs, and hotel concierges and helps secure last-minute reservations for its members, who pay $12 a month.
by Joshua Brustein
See full article at BusinessWeek
See all posts on HowAboutWe
See all posts on Match.com
See all posts on Delightful
Grouper Eliminates Blind Date Pressure
EXPRESS.CO.UK – Feb 13 - Grouper sets up drinks between two groups of friends, three men and three women. The site has recently launched in London is planning to expand nationwide. Smeeters works in the same way but is designed for both singles and non-singles who are keen to meet new friends. There is also Six Dinners Later. Users pay £25 to join the guest list and then either wait to be invited to a group dinner by a fellow member or put their name forward to attend a particular dinner.