SEEKING ALPHA – Hello Group, a Chinese online social and entertainment company, is experiencing short-term pain due to the declining revenues of its key mobile apps, Momo and Tantan. The decline is attributed to both COVID and regulatory factors. However, Hello Group has introduced new mobile apps, such as Duidui, Hertz, and Soulchill, which it aims to grow in markets outside China, and which have lots of room for future growth. The revenue generated by the new apps grew by 154% YoY to RMB203m in Q3 2022. Therefore, the company is well-positioned to deliver long-term gains for patient shareholders, and its shares are rated as a Hold.
Month: February 2023
Dating & Relationship Report by Appinio and Spark Networks
APPINIO – Jorge Bueso, Spark Networks' Senior Consumer Research and Insights Manager, collaborated with Appinio on their Hype Trackers in the US, UK, FR and ES, gaining insight into the intersection between relationships, Valentine's Day and how online dating services participate in both. People tend to seek meaningful relationships based on shared values within a like-minded community, and more than ever, online dating services help facilitate these relationships. However, the industry also faces challenges, such as red flags and ghosting, particularly for women. The report also identifies growing discussion topics such as gender identity and polyamory, which the online dating industry is expected to address for modern daters.
Announcing LTR Edition 20 With Paul Dolan (Professor of Behavioural Science), and Ruben Buell (CEO of RealGifts)
OPW – Edition 20 of the LTR (Love, Tech, Relationships) online experience will be on Wed 1st March at 12 noon EST (New York time). In this edition, we will hear from Paul Dolan, a Professor of Behavioural Science in the Department in Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics, on "How To Connect With and Use Academics to Inform Your Product Strategy", followed by Ruben Buell, CEO of RealGifts, who will talk about "Monetizing dating apps via gifting".
We have a half-hour of networking on virtual tables, followed by 50 mins of presentations, and then another short networking session. 1.5 hours all-in.
If you hold a full-time leadership role at an Internet dating company then you are welcome to join IDEA for free and welcome to join LTR events for free.
See the LTR Edition 20 speakers and invite page here
Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.
This LTR is kindly sponsored by technology providers Livebox by The Meet Group, RealGifts, Courtland Brooks and Matchmaker.com
Match Launches a New Campaign
THE DRUM – Match’s new brand campaign, “Head Over Heels,” features six couples who showcase how they found love through different Match functionalities. Broadcast across TV, radio and digital the campaign includes a one-minute hero film and shorter snippets focusing on a specific couple and service.
Happn Launches a New Feature Based on 2023 Dating Trends
NORWAY POSTS – Happn, a dating app with 135M registered users, has launched a new feature called "Hub," which lets users take control of their love lives, filter, and evaluate compatibility. The hub is divided into four parts: Discover, Game, Explore, and Against. Discover lets users interact with new profiles. Game includes the CrushTime game to spice up the search. Explore provides access to the Map and new options to refine navigation. Against lets users filter preferences on the type of relationship sought.
India Is Now the 5th Fastest-growing Dating App Market
WooPlus Integrated ChatGPT
WOOPLUS – WooPlus, a plus-size dating app, has recently integrated ChatGPT into its platform. This new feature allows users to quickly respond to messages during conversations with a single tap. Internal testing has shown that the use of ChatGPT leads to a 200% increase in match interaction and helps users break the ice more effectively. However, the integration of ChatGPT is controversial and has also sparked a debate among the users who participated in internal testing. The company is continuously monitoring the situation and gathering feedback from its users to make necessary improvements and ensure that the experience is authentic and meaningful.
Company Behind Indian Dating App Aisle Launches GenZ App
AFAQS – Last month, Aisle launched a dating app, called Jalebi. It has been exclusively designed for Gen Z who, according to the platform, are tired of casual dating and want to engage in something more substantial. Profiles on Jalebi are 100% selfie-verified. Jalebi's profile design lays more emphasis on the personalities of users, instead of pictures.
Iris Dating Hits 2 Million User Mark
EIN NEWSWIRES – Iris Dating, the new dating app that utilizes AI to predict mutual attraction, has just reached a milestone with ~2M users. "Iris Dating was born out of my fascination with the potential of AI to understand who you find attractive." says Igor Khalatian, CEO and Founder of Iris, a tech enthusiast and holder of a Ph.D. in Computer Science and 13 patents.