Month: January 2019

The Meet Group’s Preliminary Q4 and Full Year 2018 Financial Results

Posted on January 8, 2019

Themetgroup logoPRESS RELEASE – Jan 8 – For the Q4 2018, the company expects:

  • Revenue of ~$52.3M, above the high end of its prior outlook $49M
  • Adjusted EBITDA of ~$10.3M, above the high end of its prior outlook $9M.

For the full year 2018, the company expects:

  • Revenue of ~$178.5M, above the high end of its prior outlook of $174M – to $175M
  • Adjusted EBITDA of ~$32M, above the high end of its prior outlook of $30M.

"We ended 2018 with excellent results across our business," said Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group. "Video revenue grew in total and across each of our apps in the Q4 compared to Q3".

See full article at The Meet Group website

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Brooklyn Entrepreneur Turns Dating Mishap into Event-Based Dating App

Posted on January 8, 2019

SwoonboxPR NEWSWIRE – Jan 7 – Swoonbox is an event-based dating mobile app, with integrations into TicketMaster, TicketNetwork, Spotify, and Fandango. After a summer running a successful private beta of 3000 users in New York City, Swoonbox is gearing up to launch its public beta in the App Store and Play Store in Q1 2019. The idea was first conceived after co-founder Lester Leong won tickets to the Great GoogaMooga, an exclusive Brooklyn food and music festival. Lester's date cancelled on him at the last minute, leaving him with a spare ticket and no viable options. After spending a year developing the prototype, Lester joined forces with Glitnir Ticketing alumni Bryan Gray, along with its co-founders Gordon Krstacic and Bill McLean, to officially co-found Swoonbox.

See full article at PR Newswire

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Blued, Chinese Gay Dating App, Halts Registration After Underage HIV Report

Posted on January 7, 2019

Blued logoREUTERS – Jan 5 – Chinese gay dating app Blued is halting new user registration for a week, following media reports that underage users caught HIV after going on dates set up via the app. In response, Blued vowed to launch a "comprehensive content audit and regulation," and crack down on underage users posing as adults. Blued, which was launched in 2010 and now boasts 40M registered users, is backed by state-run media Beijing News.

See full article at Hindustan Times

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Grindr Harassment Suit Could Change Accountability for Tech

Posted on January 7, 2019

Grindr iconNBC MIAMI – Jan 5 – Matthew Herrick claimed that for months an ex-boyfriend used Grindr to harass him. The harassment continued for months, even after Herrick obtained a temporary restraining order against Grindr that required the company to disable the impersonating profiles. He continues to push back against Grindr, arguing that tech companies should face greater accountability for what happens on their platforms. If successful, the lawsuit could bring a significant legal change.

See full article at NBC Miami

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Tinder Is Being Used to Lure Victims into Sex Trafficking

Posted on January 7, 2019

680NEWS – Jan 5 – Tinder is being used as a tool to lure victims into sex trafficking, according to Toronto police. Two young women joined Tinder and soon find themselves in the sex trade.

See full article at 680News

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Inside Facebook’s Dating Experiment in Colombia

Posted on January 7, 2019

Fb dating screenshotFINANCIAL TIMES – Jan 5 – At first glance it resembles other dating apps. Users set up profiles, add photos and write a bit about themselves. They set an age range and a distance range for the people they wish to meet. But instead of swiping left or right, users tap on a profile photo to reveal a profile and can then choose either "pass" or "interested". Tapping on "interested" obliges them to leave a message before moving on to view other profiles. The program suggests dates based on users' Facebook behaviour and interests, but users can also use Facebook's Events and Groups to find a match. Three months after it launched, Facebook is cagey about how many people are using the service, but said it has received "lots of useful feedback" that was helpful as it rolled the service out in Canada and Thailand in November. There is now a "Second Look" option that allows users to review people they rejected first time round and a "Pause" option that temporarily stops dating suggestions without a profile being deleted altogether. The biggest challenge to the success of the service remains Facebook's trust problems, following a series of allegations about its use of the data that it collects.

by Gideon Long
See full article at Financial Times

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Is Bumble Trying to Characterize Tinder Users As “Loose”?

Posted on January 7, 2019

EDTIMES – Jan 5 – Bumble has started an aggressive marketing campaign in India to establish themselves in this highly lucrative market. In their video ad, PeeCee (Priyanka Chopra) is shown to be first a corporate hotshot, with the title "Ambitious, not loose" followed by her being involved with her family with the title "Busy, not loose" and finally her taking off a jacket in the gym with the title "Equal, not loose". It's pretty clear that this is a shot at Tinder and it's user base which is widely perceived preferring the hookup culture instead of serious dating culture. Tinder has stepped up its marketing campaign as well. It is telling the market that all of this serious dating stuff is for adult, and adulting can wait.

by Tanmay Mehra
See full article at ED Times

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The Future of eharmony + Parship – Parship CEO Interview

Posted on January 4, 2019

Parship_Tim_Schiffers_HochformatOPW INTERVIEW – Jan 4 – Tim Schiffers is the CEO of the PARSHIP ELITE Group. Together with their shareholder ProSiebenSat.1, a German media company, they acquired eharmony. I interviewed Tim Schiffers yesterday about the acquisition of eharmony. – Mark Brooks

What do you think of the term 'serious dating'?
We think 'serious dating' is a very good position in the market that cannot be attacked so easily. Classical dating services have come under pressure from apps such as Tinder and Badoo. This did not happen with Parship – it even helped us. With the rise of dating apps, online dating has become more and more normal for people, and as soon as they are looking for a serious relationship, chances are high that they will turn to services such as Parship or ElitePartner.

What will you do with eharmony?
eharmony is a pioneer. They are the inventor of online dating based on scientific methods. We feel eharmony has lost some relevance over the past few years by way of their communication and their approach to media and online marketing. In addition, their platform is not completely state of the art. Therefore, the challenge is similar to the one we faced when we acquired ElitePartner three years ago.

Will eharmony move to the Parship platform?
Yes, we are planning to bring the services together on one shared technical platform, the Parship platform. This migration project is quite challenging and will probably take up to 12 months to complete. As far as marketing activities go, we are well on the way with a number of initiatives around brand, media, online marketing and CRM.

Why does the eharmony deal make sense for Parship?
We share the same mission: Bringing people into happy relationships by believing in the concept of scientific matchmaking. That is what Parship and ElitePartner as well as eharmony have done for years; that is what drives every one of our employees. There are also other similarities such as strong, renowned brands and the need for a focused, effective marketing strategy.

What's your thoughts on Facebook Dating?
I see them more in the classical dating camp. They have brought online dating onto the agenda for more people, which is helpful.

Is Parship considering more international acquisitions/options?
We will be very busy with integrating eharmony, working with eharmony on marketing, CRM, and platforms. That is already a big piece of our internationalization; we are broadening out into the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. As you said, it's a match made in heaven. If we see something else that is a fit however, maybe there is another move.

Read the full interview here.

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Once Founder: Slow Dating Could Be a Perfect Fit for USA

Posted on January 4, 2019

Once bannerOZY – Jan 4 – When Jean Meyer returned to Paris after traveling abroad for several years, he was surprised to find so many of his friends still single. Most users on Match and eHarmony were much older and in a different life stage, while Tinder was about hooking up and one-night stands. There was nothing in between. "Why isn't there a better dating app for people in their 30s?" Meyer wondered. So, he decided to create one. He launched Once in 2014. The app gives users just one match per day, every day at noon. The app is quickly gaining popularity in Europe and is now available in most Western European countries. But stateside, Once has not yet caught on. Meyer says this is primarily because the company has not spent time marketing across the pond. "It's going to cost a lot to market in the U.S.," he says. "Right now we want to understand the market better and find the right demographic." But Meyer is optimistic and thinks slow dating "will be a perfect fit for the U.S."

by Molly Fosco
See full article at OZY

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