CAMPAIGN LIVE – Apr 24 – "We are seeing more activity on OkCupid now than we were in February," said Melissa Hobley, the CMO of OkCupid. A huge survey of 70K OkCupid users found that 94% of people on the app are hanging out virtually right now. More than half of these respondents said messaging is their favorite way to court in this pandemic world, followed by video and then a phone call. "What I'm hearing from women is that romance is back," said Hobley. "They can't hook up so the guys are putting in some effort. "What's been interesting is the empathetic and compassionate messages.
Month: April 2020
MeetMe Live Announces MeetMeLive Aid, a Fundraiser to Help Struggling Musicians
Happn Users Can Now Expand Their Search Range
TRUSTED REVIEWS – Apr 24 – Happn users can normally like or reject other Happn users who have been within a 250-metre radius of them at some point during the day. They can now expand the range all the way up to 90km. The app will display nearby Happn users first though. Happn has also teased a couple of upcoming features: Emotions and SuperNote. Emotions will allow users to react to certain aspects of their crush's profile, and SuperNote will allow users to message someone who hasn't liked them back. They'll get one SuperNote per day. Both features are currently in testing, and are scheduled to launch this summer.
Some Dating App Users Are Listing Their COVID Status
BUSTLE – Apr 24 – For Maria, 38, a Tinder user, listing her health status is something she'd consider doing in order to match with more people and score more dates. "I was just speaking to a friend about dating amid COVID, and my plans to get an antibody test to determine my exposure," she tells Bustle. "In jest, I said I would post my test results if I had been exposed, in hopes that it would make me more marketable!" The problem is, many people can carry the virus without knowing it, or pick it up after testing negative. And that's why experts agree this trend is not only unhelpful but potentially dangerous. "This virus is so new, and there is the possibility of false positives or negatives, and who knows if new strains may even emerge," says Rachel DeAlto, the chief dating expert at Match. "For the time being, I don't think it's necessary and can potentially be inaccurate." A Bumble representative tells Bustle that ~100K users have updated their dating profiles to mention that they are self-quarantining.
by Carolyn Steber
See full article at Bustle
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Dating Virtually With NextDate Social Hours on Plenty of Fish Live!
POF BLOG – Apr 24 – Every Thursday and Saturday from 10PM – 11PM EST, Plenty of Fish is hosting NextDate Social Hours via Plenty of Fish Live!. These are virtual speed dating events. Users go on Plenty of Fish Live!, hit the 'go live!' button and join NextDate by clicking the heart at the bottom during the speed dating social hour times. POF will be giving away 8,000 credits ($50 value) per person to the first 25 couples that agree they've found a spark, by matching in NextDate, during each event. NextDate speed dating sessions will run until May 30, 2020.
MeetPositives.com to Add Video Messaging to Its Dating Site
STREET INSIDER – Apr 23 – Meetpositives.com is adding video messaging to its dating site. Meet Positives offers an alternative to dating and a second chance for positive people who live with STD. The site helps positive singles avoid the embarrassment and possible rejection by telling a potential mate about their condition.
Badoo Swipes Right on Inaugural Global Agency Partner
PRWEEK – Apr 23 – Badoo has appointed Grayling as its first strategic global communications agency. Grayling will work with Badoo's communications and marketing teams to create campaigns that support its brand mission of 'Date honestly'.
Luxy Is Introducing Video Date Named ‘FaceMe’
LUXY – Apr 23 – This option will be available to all Luxy users at no additional charge. FaceMe is a great addition to security and matchmaking efficiency since everyone can now find out fast if their match is the real deal.
Animal Crossing and Club Penguin Are Actually Dating Sites
PAPER MAGAZINE – Apr 21 – Social simulation games like Animal Crossing and Club Penguin have become great places for people to go on dates together. Club Penguin has seen a huge increase in student users since the beginning of quarantine. Both are games that take place in virtual worlds where users can meet up with other players, chat and do activities together, which make them perfect places for digital hangouts.
How COVID-19 Killed Hookup Culture and Saved Romance
FAST COMPANY – Apr 21 – The use of Match, OkCupid, Tinder, and Hinge is surging, and video dating is becoming more and more normal, as people look for meaningful connections. But, with the world enduring a new lonely normal, single people are having to adapt, and there are few other options than video dating. Many of the world's biggest dating brands have rolled out new in-app video calling features – offering virtual happy hours, hotlines to dating experts, and ways to "date" people around the globe. The major dating apps are reporting surges in messaging. On Tinder, daily conversations have risen by 20%; OkCupid has seen a 30% increase in messages sent on the app globally since March 11. "We readjusted and reprioritized our road map," said Match's CEO Hesam Hosseini. Video chat wasn't a priority before the pandemic, when only 6% of users expressed interest in the feature. Due to the lack of other options, that interest has spiked to 69%. "I think we'll look back on this period and find that folks were forming pretty strong connections."
by Talib Visram
See full article at Fast Company
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