Month: August 2017

My Professor, Paul Dolan, In UK TV Show

Posted on August 7, 2017

Professor Paul DolanOPW – Aug 7 – One of the reasons I got into Harvard Business School originally, I think, is because the lead Professor on the course was also teaching the founders of Coffee Meets Bagel while they were on the MBA course. Now I'm wondering if the same is true of the London School of Economics course I just graduated from. Professor Paul Dolan heads the course and will be in a TV show in the UK starting Monday 7th August. Paul helps 8 couples whose relationships are on the rocks. "Make or Break" airs 10pm on Monday 7th August on Channel 5 in the UK. It's on every weeknight for two weeks. Paul works with the couples in behavioural workshops and exercises to help them reassess their relationships.

Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks

The Meet Group Q2 Financial Results – Revenue Up 91%

Posted on August 7, 2017

Themetgroup logoBUSINESSWIRE – Aug 3 – Total Q2 revenue was $31.3M, up 91% YOY, mobile revenue was $23.3M, up 55% YOY. The company has increased daily video minutes by 80% to 7.2M, with ~20% of its users watching videos every day. They expect to fully launch livestreaming video on Tagged and Skout by the end of this quarter. The Meet Group will also launch new banner and native advertising units within the video experience and gifting inside of video.

See full article at The Meet Group website

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MouseMingle Helps Disney Fans Find Their Happily-ever-after

Posted on August 7, 2017

Mousemingle logoLOS ANGELES TIMES – Aug 3 – Dave Tavres, a self-proclaimed Disney nerd and former Disneyland Railroad engineer, launched MouseMingle in late 2015 after he had trouble finding women who shared his enthusiasm for Disneyland. Since its inception, MouseMingle has attracted thousands of members worldwide who pay a $12.55 monthly subscription (Disneyland was founded in '55). MouseMingle is not just about finding love. Subscribers can also find friends and park pals.

by Kathleen Luppi
See full article at Los Angeles Times

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YC-backed Muzmatch Doesn’t Want To Be Tinder For Muslims

Posted on August 7, 2017

Muzmatch logoTECH CRUNCH – Aug 3 – Muzmatch's dating app might look best described as a 'Tinder for Muslims' but co-founders Shahzad Younas and Ryan Brodie argue that Muzmatch is for people who are looking for a partner in order to get married. Two years after the launch of the first version of the app, Muzmatch has ~200k users, and is growing ~10%, month on month, according to the co-founders. The founders say the app has led to ~6k couples getting together so far. All users have to take a selfie via the app so their profile can be manually verified to help boost trust and keep out spammers. Users are also asked to rate others they have interacted with to promote positive behaviors.

by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch

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Hinge Created Snapchat Geofilters To ‘Crash’ 25 Weddings Across The U.S.

Posted on August 7, 2017

Wedding banquetADWEEK – Aug 5 – With a Snapchat campaign deployed to 25 weddings, dating app Hinge created custom geofilters for every wedding specifically for those sitting at "The Singles Table." The filters – launched on July 22 and 23—featured a baby blue table in the lower left hand corner next to the phrase "Where's my date, Hinge?" According to Hinge, 1,500 people saw the geofilters during the weddings, with ~10% actually using it for their own photos. The company also saw an uptick in total downloads, with a 60% increase over the average number of downloads during the geofilter's activated hours.

by Marty Swant
See full article at AdWeek

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Valued At $7 Million, Gay.com Domain Donated To LA LGBT Center

Posted on August 7, 2017

Gay.com screenshot 2017NEWNOWNEXT – Aug 5 – Video chat company VS Media donated the domain name Gay.com to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The domain name was valued at $6.9M by its previous ownership. Founded in 1969, the LA LGBT Center is the city's premier LGBT advocacy organization. Gay.com is still in the process of transferring to its new ownership and still displays NSFW content. VS Media, which acquired the domain in 2016, was known for its cam site Flirt4Free. Previous owners include PlanetOut and Here Media.

by Samantha Manzella
See full article at NewNowNext

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This Tuesday 2pm EST – Special Webinar On Fraud, By Kount & Online Personals Watch

Posted on August 6, 2017

Kount logoOPW – Aug 6 – With the recent data breaches of several online dating sites and millions of credit card numbers and personal information being released, your company's fraud strategy will likely be tested. Join us for a 30-minute discussion where we'll cover fraud prevention strategies and technologies specific to the online dating space. Sign up here. It's free.

Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks

No More Tiger Selfies, Tinder Said

Posted on August 6, 2017

Tinder no tiger selfiesTELEGRAPH.CO.UK – Aug 3 – Tinder has asked users to stop taking selfies with tigers after pressure from animal activists. There are more tigers in American zoos, roadside attractions and backyards (~5k) than there are left in the wild (~3,2k). Tinder wrote in a blog post: "It's time for the tiger selfies to go. Take down your tiger photos, and we will make it worth your while by donating $10k to Project Cat in honor of International Tiger Day."

by Helena Horton
See full article at Telegraph.co.uk

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Why Swiping Left On Tinder Feels Good, According To Psychology

Posted on August 5, 2017

Swipe leftINVERSE – July 28 – New research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests there may be a way to deal with the anxiety of having a lot of choices: Reject any options that confuse you or make you feel unhappy. In a series of five small experiments, lead author Hannah Perfecto, who recently earned her Ph.D. in behavioral marketing from the University of California, found that rejecting bad options feels as good as making a choice you're confident in.

by Eleanor Cummins
See full article at Inverse

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More Dating Apps Are Hosting Real Life Events

Posted on August 4, 2017

Bumble Hive NYCHERALD SUN – Aug 3 – Bumble has a space in SoHo in New York called the Bumble Hive. It offered all kinds of events – many unrelated to dating. Meanwhile, in Sydney, the dating app is also holding events. Happn has hosted an event in a cafe in Paris. The app was inspired by the fact a common first date is coffee. Meanwhile eHarmony has an event at the end of the month called eHarmony Live, aimed at singles who may or may not use the app, to meet each other offline.

by Sarah Swain
See full article at Herald Sun

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