by Olivia Sidoti & Michelle Faverio
See full article at Pew Research
Category: Match.com
Match Launches New Live in-app Event Called ’72 Hours’
TECH CRUNCH – Match.com is introducing a time-sensitive feature called "72 Hours" to foster more meaningful connections among its users. The feature, available weekly, allows users to message potential matches for three days before the conversation vanishes. During the designated time frame, members can select nearby profiles on a map and start conversations in hopes of making weekend plans with the other person before time runs out. Initially available in New York, the feature will gradually roll out nationwide. The idea behind "72 Hours" is to combat conversations that never move beyond the app and eventually die out.
Match Group Reports Q1 2023 Results
MATCH GROUP – The Q1 '23 results showed a 1% YOY decrease in total revenue at $787M due to a 3% decline in payers, partially offset by a 2% increase in revenue per payer (RPP). On a foreign exchange neutral (FXN) basis, the total revenue was up 3% YOY at $822M. Tinder's direct revenue was flat YOY at $441M, while Hinge's direct revenue grew 27% YOY. Match Group Asia's direct revenue declined 13% YOY. Evergreen & Emerging (Match.com, Meetic, OurTime & Pairs, BLK, and Chispa) direct revenue was down 8% YOY. Q1 operating income was $198M, down 5% YOY, while Q1 adjusted operating income was $263M, down 4% YOY. Tinder's new weekly subscription packages and pricing optimizations are expected to increase revenue as 2023 progresses. Tinder is also focusing on improving women's user experience by providing relevancy, realness, and respect. They are testing Just for You, curated profiles, and adding interactive profile elements to provide a richer and more engaging user experience. Hinge is seeing exceptional momentum in Europe, with plans to launch more targeted marketing efforts in Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands in Q2.
Why Are Most Dating Apps So Similar to Each Other?
MAKE USE OF – Dating apps often seem similar due to several factors. Firstly, many mainstream apps like Tinder, Match, OKCupid, and Hinge are owned by the Match Group, which dictates the overall approach and design of these platforms. Secondly, the freemium model, where basic services are free but premium features are locked behind a paywall, is common across the industry, leading to similar user experiences. Mobile optimization for smaller screens and a need for a mass appeal also contribute to a uniform design language. Additionally, many users are on multiple platforms, which might make the experience feel repetitive. Lastly, the lack of a foolproof algorithm for successful matching and the apps' desire to keep users engaged leads to the use of similar gamified elements across platforms. Despite these similarities, subtle differences might make one app more suited to a user than others.
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.
63% of Men Use Dates to Become ‘a Better Version of Themselves’
The Woman Who Made Online Dating Into a ‘Science’
THE ATLANTIC – Helen Fisher is an anthropologist and famed love expert. She is the chief scientific adviser for Match.com. She says personality is a cocktail of hormones; love comes from the buzz of mixing them just right. Dating apps can't possibly kill romance, even if they do show us so many options. "It's the same old brain," she says. "The brain hasn't changed in 300K years." She's famous for her science books, including "Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love", which," may have been the one that brought her to the attention of Match.com. The company was looking for insight – Why does anybody fall in love with one person and not another? She created four personality styles (Builders – high in serotonin, logical, and traditional; Explorers – high in dopamine, spontaneous and daring; Negotiators – high in estrogen, empathetic and imaginative, and Directors – high in testosterone, decisive and competitive.) Those categories became the basis for Chemistry.com. When it launched in 2005, Chemistry.com competed with eHarmony and PerfectMatch.com, based on the Myers-Briggs personality test. Users filled out a questionnaire written by Fisher and were assigned primary and secondary personality styles. According to Fisher's system, builders match well with other builders, explorers with explorers, and negotiators with directors. Taking the job with Match was "one of the smartest things I've ever done with my life," she said. "Fifteen million people have taken that questionnaire." (The questionnaire was used first for Chemistry.com, then for Match's flagship site.) Today, Fisher's role at Match has more to do with data analysis and public relations than designing dating products.
Single People Want Deeper Connections and More Substance
WALL STREET JOURNAL – Singles are emerging from the pandemic more serious about finding a partner and less focused on looks, according to the latest Singles in America study, conducted by researchers at the Kinsey Institute and funded by Match. ~75% of the study's participants say they want to find a partner who wants to marry, roughly similar to last year and up from 58% in 2019. Singles became more interested in finding a stable partner and they're spending more time on phone calls and video chats before meeting IRL. Today, one-quarter of singles say they've had a video chat with a date before meeting in person, up from 6% in 2019. Each year, researchers ask single people what they’re looking for in a partner. The No. 1 answer this year is "someone to trust and confide in." Physical attraction dropped out of the top five during the pandemic.
by Elizabeth Bernstein
See full article at Wall Street Journal
Match.com Ad Banned From TikTok for Being ‘Sexist’
MYLONDON – A TikTok ad posted by Match.com has been banned from the platform for perpetuating negative gender stereotypes. The post showed clips of a couple in their home, with one scene showing the man sitting in a chair with his feet up and on the phone while a female voiceover said: "Things that make him realize I'm a keeper." The voiceover then continues, saying: "I will make him his protein shake after the gym", "I always make sure he has a fresh towel and socks after his shower", and "I put the football on for him every evening". The TikTok ad ended with the woman saying: "Find your keeper via Match. Go download the Match app today." Match.com said the ad formed part of a three-video storyline, which also showed gestures carried out by the man for the woman.
by Josie Clarke & Hannah Cottrell
See full article at MyLondon
The Toll of Dating App Burnout
by Catherine Pearson
See full article at New York Times
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