SEA GLOBE – Feb 24 – Southeast Asian users have caught on to the mobile dating trend, with local dating apps – such as Thailand-based Noonswoon, Peekawoo in the Philippines, Indonesia's Wavoo and Singapore's LunchClick. Paktor is one of Asian's biggest dating apps, boasting 6M users in six key Asian markets. Competition is fierce. Paktor is the only dating app out of 13 that entered the Southeast Asian market at the same time that is still standing. Capturing market share in Southeast Asia involves understanding the social norms of each country. While most of Paktor's advertising in Singapore appears online, regional marketing director Shn Juay says the company adopted a different tack in Indonesia. "We go into university campuses and identify people who could be influencers. We let them try the app, and then share it through word of mouth."
Month: February 2016
Tinder Now Ranks Users By Their ‘Desirability’
UNIVERSITY OBSERVER – Feb 23 – Tinder is now ranking its users based on a 'desirability' algorithm. Tinder has not explained how exactly the 'desirability' number is calculated but said 'desirability' is not necessarily a synonym for 'attractiveness'. The algorithm also factors in users' level of engagement.
by Megan Ward
See full article at University Observer
Luxy: A New Dating App For The Super Rich
MARIE CLAIRE – Feb 20 – Dubbed "Tinder without the poor people", the Luxy app filters users based on affluence and attractiveness. Luxy is part of the growing trend for wealth- and looks-assessed dating apps such as The League and the UK's Inner Circle. To join the Luxy, users are asked to disclose income (at least $200K), along with tax returns for proof. If they're poor but super-hot, they're welcome too.
The full article was originally published at Yahoo Lifestyle AU, but is no longer available.
Match.com Aims To Stay Relevant
Mobile Dating Conference In Los Angeles June 9-10
OPW – Feb 19 – This is now the mobile dating industry. The majority of our users are accessing our services on mobile. Which makes this event the must-attend event of the year. Marc Lesnick is focusing on all-mobile, and advanced techniques and strategies for building and growing apps. I hope to see you there. Book early for the best prices.
Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks
Dating Apps Set To Revolutionize Advertising And Job Hunting
CNBC – Feb 19 – According to Jacqueline Gold, CEO of Ann Summers, dating apps are a fantastic way for brands to engage with their audience. Businesses are beginning to see the potential of dating services. Several are being used to advertise fashion and luxury brands, such as JW Anderson, which launched a collection using Grindr in January. Gold doesn't think the presence of ads will put off users, as long as they don't harm the user experience. Dating app are becoming indispensable to users. Didier Rappaport, CEO of dating app Happn, believes these services play an important role in society.
by Luke Graham
See full article at CNBC
Interview With Whitney Wolfe, Founder Of Bumble
Q: How would you describe yourself?
A: Twenty-six, hard working, never sleep, brain goes a million miles an hour, very dedicated to Bumble.
Q: How do you think apps have changed the way we approach dating and relationships?
A: These apps really give you access to things that are outside of your normal reach in your day‑to‑day life.
Q: Bumble stands out because it only allows women to start a conversation. How has this changed our ways of interacting?
A: At the moment, women feel that society judges them for making the first move even though it’s an obvious desire for both sexes. Bumble is striving to empower women to make themselves equal to men in the dating world.
Q: Tell us about founding and running a company as a 26‑year‑old.
A: It's hard but fun when you're passionate about your business.
Q: You refer to your company as being feminist. What is your interpretation of the modern feminist?
A: We want equality for both sexes. We're not trying to put women above men.
Q: What was the best decision you've made to get where you are now?
A: The best decisions I've ever made have been the ones that my gut said yes to or no to immediately.
by Kate Wells
The full article was originally published at KitAndAce, but is no longer available.
Hinge May Start Charging Users As It Zeroes In On Serious Dating
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 19 – Hinge is undergoing a huge makeover, ditching the swipe mechanic and adding a paid subscription layer to ensure folks who use it are there "for the right reasons". There's no word on when Hinge plans to roll out this new, more expensive version of its app.
Paktor – The Mobile-dating App Designed For Singles In Asia
CNBC – Feb 19 – Paktor is a Singapore-based mobile-dating app, similar to Tinder, except that it has some Asia-specific tweaks. Asians prefer to first meet fellow users in groups, rather than a more intimate one-on-one date. A feature on Paktor are the group chats based on common interests or careers. The app also has several language settings including Tagalog, Korea, Thai, Japanese, Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia. The app also has a offline date-guarantee program for premium subscribers.
BeenVerified Helps Dating Sites Identify Fake Profiles
BEENVERIFIED – Feb 19 – The FBI states that 1 in 10 online profiles are fake. See BeenVerified infographic.
There are many forms of scams. The most common are:
- Catfishing – romance scam
- Sextortion – An online dater convinces another online dater to send intimate photos. Then the scammer extorts money from the victim by threatening to release the photos.
BeenVerified is a new company that helps dating sites authenticate or 'verify' new members by cross-references members details, such as email address and phone number, with public records, making sure the information matches and they're real people. For more details, visit beenverified.com.