Month: July 2016

Avid Life Rebrands Itself As Ruby Corp.

Posted on July 12, 2016

Ashleymadison new design tagline july 16WALL STREET JOURNAL – July 12 – The renaming is "an important step in our journey to completely rebuild the company as a relevant, digital dating innovator that truly cares for our customers," said recently-named Ruby Chief Executive Rob Segal. They also plan to repositioning its Ashley Madison brand, dropping its tagline "Life is Short. Have an Affair" for "Find Your Moment." The brand's logo – a wedding ring icon and "hush" imagery—has been replaced by a "modern, discreet" wordmark. A new global digital campaign and TV advertising will take a more understated approach, with no dialogue and a cinematic feel.

by Anne Steele
See full article at Wall Street Journal

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Researchers Give Out H.I.V. Self-Testing Kits On Grindr

Posted on July 12, 2016

Hiv testsNEW YORK TIMES – July 11 – The study used banner ads on Grindr to offer free test kits. Recipients received a kit in the mail, a voucher that could be redeemed for a kit at a pharmacy, or a code that would produce a kit from a vending machine in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. The study was confined to Los Angeles, and fewer than 400 test kits were distributed, but the idea has broader potential.

by Donald G. McNeil Jr.
See full article at The New York Times

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Venntro Media Group’s WooWise Division Increases EBITDA By 279%

Posted on July 12, 2016

Venntro logoOPW – July 12 – The mobile-focused division houses Smooch.com, Jiko and Revelar. EBITDA growth can be attributed to the successful transition of the Smooch.com product from a free online dating brand to a paid, but low-cost, site. The site has achieved YOY growth of 44.2%, accompanied by the implementation of cost saving efficiencies which led to a reduction in total operating costs of 52%. In addition, conversion rates on the site have increased 63% year on year. Jiko has also seen significant growth since its official launch in Feb '16, achieving +1M swipes just two months after its official launch.

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Paktor Secures $10m Series C Funding Led By YJ Capital

Posted on July 11, 2016

Paktor logo new jan 16DEAL STREET ASIA – July 11 – The round, led by the corporate venture capital arm of Yahoo Japan, with participation from Global Grand Leisure, Golden Equator Capital and Sebrina Holdings Venture Capital, will be used to fuel its expansion into North Asia, – Japan and South Korea – as well as expand sales & marketing activities in Indonesia, in addition to meeting rapidly increasing demand for its O2O services in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Korea. With this round, the firm has raised in excess of $20.5 million to date.

by Shiwen Yap
See full article at Deal Street Asia

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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.

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“Selfie Request” Feature On Badoo

Posted on July 11, 2016

Badoo logoDIGITAL TRENDS – Jul 11 – The world's largest dating network has introduced a new feature that it hopes will cut down on catfishing and ultimately, make online dating safer. Female users can now use to ask their matches to send a selfie to ensure validity. These latest features come hot off the heels of Badoo's photo verification and profile launch.

by Lulu Chang
See full article at Digital Trends

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CEO Of Happn, Founder Of Dailymotion, On Success

Posted on July 11, 2016

Happn didier rappaport1ECONOMIC TIMES – Jul 11 – Didier Rappaport defines experience as, "the sum of all the mistakes we have done in the past." He believes that companies should have only one leader. "I started a company in partnership in the past, around 10 years ago. That failed because we were sharing everything, including the way we were leading the company. So, now I have partners. But I have told them that as the CEO, my job is to protect your shares and investments. When you share power, you destroy power as a CEO. A CEO must be surrounded by clever people, who challenge and help him understand the world. You must be open minded, but know at what point you must take decisions. And this, you cannot share," he said.

by Rashmi Menon
See full article at Economic Times

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Siren’s #MoreThanMeat Campaign Against Tinder

Posted on July 11, 2016

MeatfaceREFINERY 29 – July 11 – Siren has pitted itself against Tinder with its new #MoreThanMeat campaign, which encourages Tinder users to make a "MeatFace" of their profile picture. Users can create their own MeatFace selfie whether or not they have a Siren account. "Tinder feels like a crazy stupid frat party," states Siren CEO and cofounder Susie Lee. "That's not honestly how you'd navigate your life most of the time." Instead, Lee and her company hope to use "technology to create a more humane space for people to meet and really solve the problem of loneliness."

by Sara Murphy
See full article at Refinery 29

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Internet Dating Jobs Listing Update – July 2016

Posted on July 10, 2016

Internet dating jobs logo OPW – July 10 - 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:

Dil Mil
  VP of Growth

Global Personals USA (Webdate, Fling, WealthyMen, Crush.com)
  Product Manager / USA – FL, Miami Beach

Parship.de
  Art Director ElitePartner

Spritzr
  VP of Engineering

Tinder
  Country Managers (France, Germany, Japan, Russia, UK)

Twoo
  Director of Acquisition

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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Ashley Madison Will No Longer Threaten Customers

Posted on July 10, 2016

Ashleymadison screenshot new july 16CNNWIRE – July 9 – For years, AM threatened to send paperwork to users' homes if they disputed their bills — potentially revealing cheaters to their spouses. Avid Life Media has confirmed that these tactics were employed by AM until recently. "The company has a new team, new leadership and that kind of communication is firmly in the past," company representative Debra Quinn said. "That past practise stopped when our new CEO Rob Segal and new President James Millership took the helm." Avid Life Media said it is trying to turn itself around ever since a hack last year. "Over the next few months, our team will be working hard to introduce more discreet features, privacy safeguards and most important, to rebuild trust over the long-term," Quinn said.

See full article at Q13Fox

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