Category: Match.com

MSN Viral Campaign Mentions True

Posted on February 24, 2005

MEDIADAILYNEWS — Feb 24 — MSN will supplement its massive TV, radio and Web ad campaign for its new search service with a viral campaign dubbed “MSN Found” built around six fictional bloggers who collect MSN Search results, also links to phenomenon like exploding whales.  42 Entertainment will be creating viral programs to promote the search engine.  msnfound.com collects all the blogs together.  Several of the blogs also mention the dating site True; MSN declined to comment on any relationship with the dating service by publication time. 

The full article was originally published at Media Post, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: MSN is (currently) partnered with Match.com for MSN Match.  Denise is the blogger in question.  "Age: 31, Occupation: I own my own local dating service, True.  Drooling over: The new True dating questionnaire. Talk about soulful!"

Match Launches Happen Magazine

Posted on February 23, 2005

PRNEWSWIRE — Feb 23 — For the first time 80 million singles have a magazine of their own.  Match.com today announced the online launch of Happen Magazine www.happenmagazine.com focused exclusively on dating and relationships. Happen Magazine will be free until April 2005. After that full access by subscription or as part of a Match.com subscription.

Mark Brooks: Ahem…  Mary Spio is hooked into Hollywood and launched the first quality, glossy singles magazine One2One Living; Started in 2002, now has 178,000 distribution. 

College; Internet Dating Expedites Meeting Process

Posted on February 23, 2005

SACRAMENTO STATE — Feb 23 — Online personals have become an alternative for college students looking for a more objective way to find dates.  Everybody should be familiar with the phrase “you get what you pay for.” Internet dating is no exception to this rule.

Match.com; Senior Singles

Posted on February 20, 2005

WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL — Feb 20 — You were dating when Paul McCartney was a young rocker. Now you’re dating again and he’s an icon, which is what you are when you’re 62 and still get to rock the halftime show at the Super Bowl.  Match.com reports that memberships for ages 50 and over boomed by 322% from 2000 to 2003 and that about 10% of their total members are over 50. Older singles told a Match.com survey that intelligence is the most important personal characteristic, followed by fidelity, confidence and humor. 

Mark Brooks: SeniorFriendFinder is the category leader.  Spark Networks runs SilverSingles

Willing to Buy a Little Help in Finding Love

Posted on February 20, 2005

TORONTO STAR — Feb 19 — It’s Just Lunch is a growing operation with annual revenue of more than $30 million, 70-odd franchises, and plans to expand all over the world.  Websites like match.com and lavalife are reportedly runaway successes and business darlings.  Tory Howat started Equal Chemistry in 2004 after deciding to turn her knack of knowing who would love whom into a business. The focus of her business is fitness: those people who are serious about sport and training (therefore have something in common right away).  FULL ARTICLE @ THE STAR

Mark Brooks: Many predicted the demis of traditional dating services with the rise of online personals.  Both seem to be faring well. 

Affiliate Marketing is a Leading Source of Spam

Posted on February 20, 2005

NEWSTARGET — Feb 16 — Much junk email likely comes from questionable spammers who are marketing legitimate websites.  Match.com uses carefully chosen affiliates to reach niche audiences according to Kristen Kelly; prohibits affiliates from using e-mail and gives itself wide leeway in deciding when to cut ties with an affiliate.  The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 makes a company liable for junk e-mail sent on its behalf if it should have known of the spam or it took no reasonable action to police its affiliates.  CAN-SPAM gives the federal government, states and ISPs wide powers to sue companies who hire spammers. 

The full article was originally published at Newstarget, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: Many online personals companies ban affiliates from using emailing altogether.  Still, many rogue affiliates (spammers) still exist.

Romance Changes With Electronic Conveniences

Posted on February 19, 2005

THE CAPITAL — Feb 15 — Cingular offers "Escape-A-Date," providing a way out when dates go bad. Automated voice prompts on a getaway: "If you want to be rescued, repeat after me. Say ‘Oh no, that sucks.’ Pause. ‘You want me to pick you up right now?’  Match.com registers 20,000 users a day. In the Washington-Baltimore area there are 230,000 active profiles; 57% men.  In a WeddingChannel.com survey last year, 12% of respondents said they had met online.  FULL ARTICLE @ THE CAPITAL

Happily Ever After… Internet Love

Posted on February 19, 2005

FRESNO BEE — Feb 13 — Match.com estimates it has helped 200,000 people find true love since it was launched in 1995. The widely advertised eHarmony.com, which debuted in 2000, claims to be the fastest growing online dating site, with 10,000 to 15,000 new users joining per day. The service also takes matchmaking credit for 10,000 marriages.  "I think the reason eHarmony works is that you don’t get to choose your matches. They are chosen for you."  Lapp says traditional dating is valuable for younger people because it allows them to develop social skills while learning about themselves and others. On the other hand, online dating makes better sense for older people because they already know what they are seeking in a relationship."  "The big advantage with online dating is that you can talk about God and sex and raising children and get that stuff out of the way early." "With traditional dating, you may not get into those discussions until your relationship is months down the road. And then you may end up having to figure out how to get out of the relationship." 

Picky Suitors Narrow Search to Niche Sites

Posted on February 19, 2005

SAN FRANCISO CHRONICLE — Feb 14 — Would-be entrepreneurs are opening niche sites because it would be virtually impossible at this point for them to compete head-on with established sites like Match.com or Lavalife.  A dating site for everyone.  http://www.datingforsmokers.com, http://www.veggiedate.com, http://www.singleparentmeet.com, cfpersonals.com (Childfree Personals), http://www.datemypet.com, http://www.paganconnection.com, http://www.disability-dating.com, http://www.datealittle.com  FULL ARTICLE @ SFGATE

Married vs Single

Posted on February 19, 2005

FORBES — Feb 14 — Marital status of the U.S. population; 53.5% married, 28.6% never married, 11.7% divorced or separated, 6.2% widowed (US Census 2003). Living arrangements of U.S. households; 28.2% married without children, 23.3% married with children, 16.4% other family households i.e. unmarried parents, 15.2% women living alone, 11.2% men living alone, 5.6% unmarried/unrelated roomates (US Census 2003).  Married adults are less likely to smoke, drink heavily or be physically inactive.  However, married men are more likely to be overweight or obese than other men (Center for Disease Control and Prevention's report "Marital Status and Health: U.S. 1999-2002).  Median annual adult income in U.S., married $27,605, single $17,057 (US CENSUS BUREAU 2004).  The probability of a first marriage ending in separation or divorce within five years is 20%.  After 10 years 33%.  The probability of a premarital cohabitation breaking up within five years is 49%.  After ten years it's 62% likely  (Center for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics 2002).  Several studies suggest married people live longer, but is has yet to be proven decisively.  An unusually high proportion of – about 15% – of female centenarians never married.