GRITDAILY – Apr 27 – Based on the concept of getting to know a person before matching with them, S'More brings a less superficial approach to online dating. S'More is launching a celebrity video content channel in-app. The content is exclusive to S'More and meant to spark more organic conversations. The new feature has already increased time on the app by ~50%, and new conversations by 13% for beta users. S'More TV rolled out to everyone on April 23. Initial content available includes videos from Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger, Alexis Waters and Raven Gates from The Bachelor, Congressman Brian Sims, Real Housewives of Dallas' D'Andra Simmons, Jordan Kimball from The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, Fox Sports host Joy Taylor, Seaburn Williams from Netflix's The Circle, and Shane Coopersmith from Below Deck, and more.
Month: April 2021
The End of Pandemic Means Major Changes for 3 App Categories
MARKETING DIVE – Apr 27 – An analysis of global engagement trends suggests dining, gaming and dating are poised to undergo massive disruptions when life returns to normal. With so many of those in lockdown missing human contact, dating apps are seeing truly massive spikes in engagement whenever lockdowns lift.
Couply Is Trying to Improve Couples’ Relationships
BLOGTO – Apr 27 – A Toronto startup called Couply acts as a generator for customized date suggestions, relationship advice or gift ideas. Using a series of quick personality quizzes based on Gary Chapman's theory of five love languages or the colour test based on Dr. Taylor Hartman's personality profile, the app gets a general idea of users' values and priorities in a relationship.
Matrimony.com Launches Exclusive Matchmaking Service for IIM, IIT Grads
TIMES OF INDIA – Apr 27 – Matrimony.com has launched 'IIMIITMatrimony.com', an exclusive service for finding a life partner who has graduated from premier institutes like the IIMs, IITs and other top universities and colleges from India and abroad.
In the New 3D Avatar AlterMe, Women Prove to Be More Creative
TECHGROUND.CO.UK – Apr 27 – AlterMe is a social community where users create 3D avatars from selfie and then tailor them to express themselves and show their interests. 67% of AlterMe users are female. They also spend double the average amount of time on refining their 3D personas.
by Daniel Tannenbaum
See full article at TechGround.co.uk
This post also appears on VerySocialNetwork
Japanese Dating App, Pairs, Gives Women Control and Makes Men Pay
WALL STREET JOURNAL – Apr 25 – Match Group says Japan is its second-biggest market after the U.S., thanks to the popularity of its Pairs app. The company says its revenue in the country is seven times what it was five years ago. Pairs is Japan's top-ranked dating app, with 3.1M downloads in 2020, according to App Annie. It is aimed at singles serious about matrimony and tries to make women comfortable about signing up. Men have to pay and show their full real names if they want to start chatting. Women get in free and can use initials (46% of Pairs users are women). "Internet dating in Japan wasn't just stigmatized – it was beyond a stigma. It was viewed as dirty," said Mark Brooks, a consultant who advises internet dating businesses. "Japan has always been enticing to internet dating companies, but they knew they had a job to do to clean up the reputation of the industry overall." About half of Match Group's $2.4B in revenue last year came from outside the U.S. Match Group's success in Japan started with an acquisition of Eureka, the developer Pairs, in 2015.
by Suryatapa Bhattacharya
See full article at Wall Street Journal
Geoff Cook – Live Streaming Video Adds Social Entertainment to Online Dating
LTR – Apr 26 – Technological innovations like live streaming video and AI will continue to improve user engagement and drive growth in the online dating industry, according to Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group and General Manager Video for ParshipMeet Group. These technologies have enabled The Meet Group to significantly increase the average lifetime of its users as well as their willingness to spend. The company's live video network hosts 8.9 million viewers per month and has experienced 185% YoY growth. Through its vPaaS SDK, or video platform as a service, these positive network effects can be integrated into other dating apps. Geoff Cook discusses the benefits of broadcast video for dating apps in the latest video in the LTR Conference series.
LTR stands for Love, Technology, Relationships and the online conference covers the Internet dating and Online Social Communities space. It is for members of IDEA and OSCA.
The February LTR was kindly sponsored by RealMe, vPaaS by The Meet Group, Utopia Analytics, Tawkify, Real Gifts & Courtland Brooks.
Parship to Better Inform Users About Renewals
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU – Apr 25 – Parship has responded to the criticism of the EU Commission and consumer protection authorities. The company says Parship's users will be more clearly informed in the future about the fees and automatic renewals. Users were also complaining the company makes it difficult for them to leave. The federal association wants to bring the company to court. "Parship must allow customers to cancel at any time, otherwise it is illegal", says Klaus Müller, a board member of the German Consumer Organizations.
Is It Worth Paying a Premium to Find Love?
THE GUARDIAN – Apr 25 – Tinder has three levels of subscription, Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum, each with different prices. The monthly fee is also linked to age. Users aged ~30 are being charged £27.49 or £29.49, while those under 30 are being charged £13.99 or £14.49. Tinder Plus seemed more random. Some users over 30 are being charged £19.49, most are being asked to pay £4.99, £8.99 or £9.99. Bumble charges £14.99 a month for Bumble Boost, and £32.99 for Bumble Premium. Coffee Meets Bagel charges £34 a month for its Premium service. Grindr also offers a more expensive package – Unlimited, at £31.99 a month. While most apps allow users to pay for premium services for just a month at a time, Plenty of Fish has a minimum premium subscription of three months for £39.99. The minimum time period to subscribe to eharmony's premium subscription is six months for £99.99. The dating and relationships coach Kate Mansfield argues that the most dateable people will be snapped up before they sign up for a paid-for service. Quality, confident people don't need to pay for matchmaking services. Instead of a paid-for app, she advises working on yourself: "Invest in coaching or therapy to get yourself in the best place possible and then use apps' free version to find love."
by Robert Beck
See full article at The Guardian
See the top news on Tinder See the top news on Bumble
See the top news on POF See the top news on Coffee Meets Bagel
See the top news on Grindr See the top news on eHarmony
Pakistani Entrepreneur’s App Helps Muslims Practice Polygamy “Respectfully”
SCOOPEMPIRE – Apr 25 – British Muslim entrepreneur Azad Chaiwala came under fire after his website 'Secondwife.com' made it in the country's headlines. The online service, first launched in 2014, facilitates Muslim polygamous marriages. So far, membership in 'Secondwife.com' is nearing 70K subscribers, and is responsible for ~100 happy marriages.