OPW – Relate, a Swedish dating app focused on long-term relationships, is undergoing a major transformation. Despite its unique approach and previous funding rounds totaling $2.3M from various investors, Relate struggled to attract a wide user base. Stepping in to steer the company in a new direction is Swedish leading matchmaker Lemarc Thomas, known for his current role at SVT. Thomas plans to shut down the existing Relate app and introduce a new matchmaking model which will involve a significant investment from users, requiring a five-figure sum for those seeking to find their ideal match.
Month: November 2023
In the Age of Online Dating, Is Matchmaking Making a Comeback?
GLOBE AND MAIL – Matchmaking services range up to $9k and higher. Matchmakers have been playing cupid since ancient times. Online dating eclipsed them. Reality TV shows such as Netflix's Indian Matchmaking convinced viewers that matchmakers may be the way to find love today, even when dating apps offer love at their fingertips. Now, others such as Jewish Matchmaking and Match Me Abroad are following suit. They offer the guidance of a real person – coach, expert, cheerleader.
In October, Tinder introduced Tinder Matchmaker, letting friends suggest matches. Single to Shaadi serves South Asians and is based in U.S.A. Pat Wright, is a matchmaker in Calgary, and points to personality. "I know all of my clients extremely well. We talk to them all the time". Clients call her back, not e-mail or text, after a first date so they can explore how it went.
by Keena Al-Wahaidi
See full article at Globe and Mail
Mark Brooks: Matchmakers charge a premium for layering in coaching services. They get to know their clients best after they've seen them go through multiple dates and they've heard their feedback. They are then able to form a better sense of who the client is and what they really appear to want, along with the idiosyncracies and true character. Matchmakers excel at providing pre-date preparation (i.e. selling the couples on each other) and post-date feedback (i.e. hearing their gripes). Matchmakers suffer for generally lacking choice, so the best matchmakers will network with other trusted matchmakers and share their inventory of clients for matching. btw, I own Matchmaker.com and we're building it to solve these problems. Watch this space. We're fascinated by matchmakers and matchmaking.
Whitney Wolfe Herd: Championing Female Empowerment in the Tech and Dating Industries
by Imran Rahman-Jones & Shiona McCallum
See full article at BBC
China Addresses Declining Marriage and Birth Rates With Government Measures
Scams Targeting Veterans Are on the Rise
MARKETWATCH – Fraudsters often focus on veterans because of the benefits and programs available to them. Government officials and the Department of Veterans Affairs warn that scams are on the rise. The FTC received 150k+ reports of scams from veterans and military retirees that cost them over $414 million in 2022, up 50% from 2021.
- Romance Scams – target widows and widowers. "If you are a senior citizen and a veteran, scammers have more than one way to play on your heartstrings," said Mark Kapczynski, of OneRep, a service that helps people remove personal information from the web.
- Imposter Scams – Fraudsters masquerade as a government agency or company helping veterans access programs. Charging for military records – Unscrupulous actors have sometimes set up and advertised sites where one can collect military service records or medical records for a fee.
- Military pension fraud – Veterans' pensions are a big target for scammers. Most of these offers propose to invest money for a fee.
- Mortgage fraud – Illegitimate agents get veterans to refinance their loans for high fees. Some fraudsters ask to sign over title of a property!
eharmony Focuses on ‘Radical Honesty’ Over Treacly Romance in New Ads
The video series launches today. One spot highlight a woman who helps her partner mourn the death of a beloved houseplant. Another shows a man who goes into DJ mode to cheer up his beau after a lousy day at work. "Real romance-it's about depth" says Natalia Fredericks, creative director at eharmony's agency Party Land.
eharmony's goal is to help daters "express their personality and individuality so they can make genuine connections where they feel comfortable being themselves" said Patrick Moore, brand lead. Will air on Hulu, PlutoTV and networks in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia, also podcasts, digital and social media buys.
Matrimony Q2 PAT Rises 7% YoY to INR 12.53 Cr
INC42 – Matrimony.com reported a 7% YOY increase in its Profit After Tax (PAT) for Q2 FY24, amounting to~$1.55M (INR 12.53 Cr). The company saw a slight decline in operating revenue quarter-over-quarter but a 5.86% YOY increase to ~$15M (INR 121.60 Cr). Revenue from matchmaking services, a major contributor to the top line, reached ~ $14.73M (INR 119.16 Cr), marking a 5.95% YOY increase. However, revenue from marriage services slightly decreased. The company's total expenditure for the quarter was ~$13.78M (INR 111.58 Cr), with a significant portion allocated to advertising and promotional activities. Despite some challenges, Matrimony.com continues to innovate, notably revamping its BharatMatrimony platform.
Dating App Thursday Transforms From Dating App to In-Person Singles Bar Experience
OPW – Thursday, initially renowned for its unique dating app that only activated on Thursdays, is taking a bold new direction. Thursday is moving beyond being just an app or an event organizer. Transitioning from digital matchmaking, Thursday is now set to launch a groundbreaking concept: The Singles Bar. The company's plan is to have a dedicated place in every major city in the world where singles from Hinge, Bumble, Tinder, pearº hang out on a Thursday night for IRL human connection.
Daters Want to Leave Body Count Stigma in 2023, eharmony Says
Replika Exec: AI Friends Can Improve Human Relationships
AXIOS – Rita Popova, chief product officer at Replika and Blush, discussed at the Axios' AI+ Summit how AI companions can enhance human relationships. Replika began as an AI service designed to understand emotions, which evolved into Blush for practicing dating, and is now transforming into an AI life coach. Popova has worked with Replika for six years and observed people forming profound relationships with their AI companions. Despite the potential benefits, she emphasizes the importance of ensuring these digital companions don't replace human interaction, focusing on improving well-being rather than just user engagement.