August 2015 – Page 8 – Online Personals Watch

Internet Dating Jobs Listing Update – August 2015

Posted on August 11, 2015

OPW – Aug 11 - The new Internet dating jobs listing is live on the Internet Dating Jobs blog.

Below see a couple of this month's most interesting offers:

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From our esteemed Courtland Brooks clients:

Global Personals USA (Webdate, Fling, WealthyMen, Crush.com)
Brand Manager (Caliente.com)

Online-Buddies
Advertising Account Executive

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eDarling.de (descriptions in German)
Director TV Marketing

eHarmony
Director, Product Management (Mobile)

Grindr / Blendr
HR Generalist and Business Partner

Hinge
Director of Growth

Lovoo
Director of Sales & Partnerships @ReachHero

Match.com, Chemistry.com, People Media
Head of Social Media & PR

Spark Networks
Strategic and Corporate Development Director

To see more open positions go here.

Do you have an idating industry job offer which is not included? Please, send it to petra@courtlandbrooks.com and we will add it to the list.

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Bumble Introduces New Verification Feature

Posted on August 11, 2015

TECH CRUNCH – Aug 10 - Bumble, the dating app where only women can initiate the conversations, is introducing a new verification feature – VIBee. The verification is based on users' positive contributions to Bumble. Verified users get a sticker on their profile and will be able to turn on a mode where they’re presented only with other VIBee users. The verification process is driven by an algorithm that takes into account behavior like what % of a user’s conversations are two-way, if a user has ever been reported for spam or abuse, or how likely a user is to follow up on conversations.

by Fitz Tepper
See full article at Tech Crunch

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Is Match.com Using Cynical Tricks To Stop Its Users Leaving?

Posted on August 11, 2015

DAILYMAIL.CO.UK – Aug 9 – Melissa Kite, 43, signed up for Match.com after being single for six months. After no success she decided to cancel her subscription. When she tried to cancel suspiciously eligible men began contacting her. So she rang Match.com to find out more about the sudden spike in activity. They insisted it was a coincidence and ruled out any possibility the men weren't genuine.

by Melissa Kite
See full article at DailyMail.co.uk

See all posts on Match.com

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Why JDate Is Fighting The JSwipe Over Its Trademark On The ‘J’

Posted on August 11, 2015

OBSERVER – Aug 7 – The suit, brought by Spark, is over two issues: JDate’s trademark and its patent on using computers to privately notify two people when they are each romantically interested in the other one. What JDate wanted at the beginning was for JSwipe to rename itself. The trademark issue with JSwipe was the association with the “J” for “Jewish” and dating. “We believe that ‘swipe’ is really synonymous with ‘dating’ in the dating community, because of Tinder,” said Spark CEO, Mr. Egan. “I believe that J belongs to the Jewish community, not any corporation,” said David Yarus, founder of JSwipe.

by Brady Dale
See full article at Observer

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“The League” App Is Like Tinder For The Elites

Posted on August 11, 2015

THE GUARDIAN – Aug 8 – "The League" dating app is for ambitious driven, young professionals that want to date other ambitious, driven young professionals,” explained Amanda Bradford, founder of The League. There’s a waiting list 100K people long to be accepted into The League. Once accepted, members receive five new matches every day at 5pm. The app is linked to LinkedIn. It launched in San Fran in Nov 2014, then in New York and expects to launch in LA and London soon. Another apps for the elites is BeLinked and Luxy that self-described as Tinder without the poor people.

by Jana Kasperkevic
See full article at The Guardian

See all posts on The League

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Lesbian Dating App “Her” Launches In Canada

Posted on August 11, 2015

NOWTORONTO – Aug 8 – Her, the lesbian dating app that first launched in London, is coming to Canada. It is not just a dating app, it also functions like Facebook or Pinterest. Users can share articles and other content about their interests. Alexis Ohanian, founder of Reddit and Michael Birch, founder of Bebo and Y Combinator, are both investors in the venture.

by Courtney Dickson
See full article at NowToronto

See all posts on Her

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Interview With Whitney Wolfe, Founder Of Bumble

Posted on August 10, 2015

VANITYFAIR – Aug 7 - Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe’s current venture is Bumble, a dating app where women have to make the first move.

Q: What inspired you to come up with Bumble?
A: I am a huge advocate for anti-bullying in our youth. Young girls are facing tremendous pressure online.

Q: Do you consider Bumble a feminist company?
A: We are 100% feminist.

Q: On Bumble, women must begin conversations. How do you think it’s changed the way things work in the online dating world?
A: By having the lady make the first move, men don't feel rejection. They are flattered. That one little shift, that one little change, makes all the difference.

Q: What about this overlaying concern of how sexualized online dating has become?
A: It’s an app. Just like a bar. You’re never going to see a sign on a bar that says “only for hookups tonight”. It’s a place to meet people, and whatever you want to do with your interactions is really up to you.

Q: There is some speculation about how hyper-attractive some of your users are. Are these models who are meant to encourage your users in some way?
A: We hear that all the time. We are not by any means trying to show a certain type of person before another type of person.

by Leora Yashari
See full article at VanityFair

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Interview With Founder Of Once, A NYC Startup That Raised $3.5M

Posted on August 10, 2015

ALLEYWATCH – Aug 7 - Once is a new dating app that analyzes users' profile and picks one match per day for them. The startup has recently raised $3.5M.

Q: Who were your investors?
A: A couple of big European business angels and one VC fund: Partech Ventures.

Q: Tell us about your product.
A: Once a day, we send one professionally handpicked match to our members. Rather than focusing on volume, we put all of our efforts in one person.

Q: What inspired you to start the company?
A: I-UM, the #1 South Korean dating app that invented this concept.

Q: What market you are targeting and how big is it?
A: We are currently focusing on the US, France and the UK. Targeting 18-50 years old that are single and looking.

Q: What’s your business model?
A: It’s a Freemium model. The daily matches and communication is free.

Q: What factors about your business led your investors to write the check?
A: Thanks to Tinder, it seems that the dating app industry is really hot right now.

See full article at AlleyWatch

See all posts on Once

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Attorney Turns Into Internet Dating Entrepreneur, Date2Relate

Posted on August 7, 2015

OPW INTERVIEW – Aug 7 – Steve Spector was an attorney, and now he's an Internet dating entrepreneur. He's launching Date2Relate this week, which will help users manage their Internet dating life across several sites. Here's our interview with Steve… – Mark Brooks

What is Date2Relate?
Date2Relate is not a traditional dating site. It is a supportive community of online dating professionals that will help you navigate the online dating world.

What's your personal background?
I've had a career as a lawyer. I owned a worldwide niche compact disc business, and freelanced as a small business marketing consultant.

What inspired you to start a dating site?
What brought me to the Idate space was my personal frustration with online dating. There wasn't any dating site that would provide useful information to online daters as well as guidance and support. It's hard not to have expectations of meeting that special person and when it doesn't happen within your timeframe you may get frustrated, angry, and even depressed. These moods affect all of dealings with online prospects. Our team eliminates this "beaten down" factor by shielding the client from online rejection and from those who aren't serious.

What services do you provide to online daters?
We offer a subscription based service called "Total Dating Life Management (TDLM) solution". It provides users with a daily contact with a Total Dating Life Management Counselor (TDLMC) who will be managing their online dating life across a number of platforms. These folks will already have a summary of who their clients are based upon the answers in their Intake Survey. This package will also include a dating site photo and profile analysis, a review of the best sites to focus on, complete dating prospect correspondence, scheduling of a first date, and even access to accredited dating coaches. Many of these services will also be available as "specialty service" options.

We'll be donating 1% of our weekly net profits to Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation, the organisation that fights domestic violence and whose slogan is the powerful 'No More.'

The site will also feature an extensive book review section, blog posts on all things dating and relationships, a cartoon section, a dating gallery of archival couples photos, quizzes, contests, and much more.

How much will you charge?
Our pricing strategy is simple and transparent. We charge fixed fees for certain services such as profile writing or undertaking a background check. These services are discounted when bundled. And as for our Total Dating Life Management Solution, we have two subscription periods: a 3-month membership and a 6-month membership in which we will undertake (with your permission) to run your dating life for you up until you decide it's time to schedule your 1st date.

How do you plan to grow to critical mass?
We've limited our efforts to the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Ireland. We have an extensive PR campaign planned and a social media campaign locked and loaded.

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Spark Networks Q2 Results: Subscribers Up, Revenue $12M, $95K Loss

Posted on August 7, 2015

MARKETWIRED – Aug 6 – Q2 Revenue was $12.3M, down 22% YOY, and down 9% from the prior quarter due to the decrease of subscribers. Direct marketing expenses were $5.3M, a decrease of 33% YOY. "By the end of the quarter we began to see real improvements in a number of our subscriber acquisition. In July, our Jewish Network subscriber numbers were up for the first time in a year and our Christian Network subscriber numbers were flat against the end of Q2," said CEO Michael Egan. Net loss was $95K.

The full article was originally published at Sys-con, but is no longer available.

See all posts on Spark Networks

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