Category: Outlets – Chicago Tribune

OmniDate Helps Daters Find Real Love In A Virtual World

Posted on May 11, 2008

Omnidate_logoCHICAGO TRIBUNE — May 11 — Paula Weisz's favorite place to take her dates is the Millennium bar. For her dates, she doesn't get dressed up, doesn't put on makeup, and doesn't even need to leave the comfort of her living room sofa. Weisz is among the growing number of people who are exploring virtual dating. "The gap can be filled by this simulated world that's safe, virtual and fun," said Ravit Abelman, who, with her husband Igor Kotlyar, founded both the OmniDate.com beta (showcase) site and the OmniDate program. "People can move from the online world into the real world and not be strangers." Through OmniDate, users choose avatars, that will represent them on their dates. Virtual dates can include touring a museum gallery, going to a bar, listening to the user's choice of music or even going to the beach. In 2006, researchers at the MIT Media Lab found that people who interacted with each other in the virtual world through avatars had better chemistry in face-to-face meetings than people who had only viewed profiles. Many sites, such as Woome.com and Speeddate.com, are using video chatting to make the online dating experience more realistic. But for some daters, being on video may be intimidating.

The full article was originally published at Chicago Tribune, but is no longer available. Also in COLUMBIA NEWS, THE TORONTO STAR. 

Mark Brooks: Igor and Ravit have done a great job building a dating app that really gets daters more emotionally involved and connected. It's a lot more interesting than flat IM. OmniDate is a client of Courtland Brooks and sponsor OPW, btw. Let me know if you'd like a demo, or email Ravit directly.

Science Of Love

Posted on April 24, 2008

Scientist RED EYE CHICAGO TRIBUNE — Apr 24 — Scientific minds across the country are attempting to decode the rules of romance, tackling issues such as the role evolution plays in attraction, whether a "love" hormone exists, and how love affects the human mind. Science is sweeping even the online dating world, according to trend watcher Mark Brooks of Online Personals Watch, who said online dating sites are increasingly adding features, including handwriting analysis, to match like-minded mates. Scientificmatch.com dabbles in DNA testing, currently charging $995 for a lifetime membership. The site claims to analyze some of the potential partners' immune system genes in order to help online daters make the right romantic connections. "With all the time, energy and money that people put into dating sites or dating to find love, it's not surprising to see that even more scientific methods are being leveraged," said Brooks. "Since the mid-'90s, online dating has revolutionized the level of personal detail and data you can provide. I can totally see it heading in the direction of science to assist with compatible matching."

The full article was originally published at Red Eye Chicago Tribune, but is no longer available.

Matchmaking For Muslims Is Custom Job

Posted on February 25, 2008

Muslims CHICAGO TRIBUNE — Feb 25 — Today, few Muslim Americans are interested in traveling halfway across the world for an arranged marriage. "There are so many young people in the Muslim community looking to get married, but they have a dilemma: They can't date. "We offer options within Islamic boundaries", said Imam Mohamed Magid, vice president of the Islamic Society of North America. The Islamic society's chaperoned speed-dating sessions. In addition to social networks such as naseeb.com or muslimsocial.com, some mosques have started adding matrimonial databases to their Web sites. Matchmakers offer a more old-fashioned approach. Athia Syed's is a popular matchmaker from Chicago. Syed counsels young Muslims to be more active in finding their future mates, rather than relying on their parents or matchmakers.

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

Relationships Revealed Online

Posted on February 15, 2008

Engage_logo
CHICAGO TRIBUNE — Feb 14 — Digital-age dating brings new pitfalls,
like learning where your relationship stands by logging on. Facebook's
profile template lets members choose from six
relationship statuses. Trish McDermott, a founder of online dating
community Engage.com,
said she's heard many stories about people learning their relationships
had ended because their partners changed statuses back to "single". Facebook allows members to name
their partner and link to their profile, which requires verification
from the other person.

Business Lights Up At Matchmaking Sites

Posted on February 11, 2008

Onlinedating
CHICAGO TRIBUNE — Feb 10 — More than 1,400 matchmaking sites are in
operation, and according to JupiterResearch, as many as 11.7 million
people are expected to pay for e-dating services by 2009, up from 10
million in 2006. In a
2007 survey by Forrester Research, 22% of online daters reported
success in meeting
people they like. Myriad niche sites have sprung up based on certain
hobbies, interests and personality traits. Many niche sites are free.

How Do I Catch A Valentine?

Posted on February 6, 2008

Valentine_gift_valentines_day_gifts CHICAGO TRIBUNE — Feb 5 — Fewer people are checking out online dating sites. According to Comscore, the number of visits in December dropped by 10% to 20.2 million Americans, compared with December 2006 figures. "There are fewer people, but they're more serious," says Mark Brooks, who provides marketing and other services for online dating sites. "The revenues continue to climb because the looky-loos have gone away; they can't get much service without paying a subscription to a Web dating service."  "Paid online dating should grow from about $890 million in 2007 to an estimated $1.9 billion in 2012," says David Card, of Jupiter Research. The average monthly subscription is now $25 a month, up $20 a month from a few years ago, but more free sites might start popping up, thanks to the skyrocketing popularity of PlentyofFish. Plentyoffish.com is free and among the most visited Web sites — not just dating sites — in Canada and the U.S. Many so-called niche dating sites are growing, Farmersonly.com attracts those who like the agricultural way of life, while gk2gk.com appeals to self-described geeks. MyPartner.com welcomes gays and lesbians.

Romance, Farming Mix On This Site

Posted on January 4, 2008

Farmersonly_logoCHICAGO TRIBUNE — Jan 2 — FarmersOnly.com, an online dating service that plays matchmaker for farmers with the credo, "City folks just don't get it." FarmersOnly has more than 80,000 members and takes credit for hundreds of relationships and at least 40 marriages, said Jerry Miller, an advertising executive from Ohio who came up with the idea two years ago.

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

Mark Brooks: I was quoted in NY Times today saying JDate is the best example of a super successful niche dating site. FarmersOnly.com is another favorite. It's an amusing example of just how far niche dating is reaching, along with DateMyPet.com. The 'sugar daddy' sites such as SugarDaddyForMe.com and MllionaireMate.com and WealthyMen.com are also amusing examples. (Full Disclosure: I was Senior Marketing Manager at FriendFinder in 2003. WealthyMen.com is a client of Courtland Brooks).

Dating Web Sites For Those With Serious Medical Conditions

Posted on July 19, 2007

Prescription4love_logo CHICAGO TRIBUNE — July 18 — The second date is going well, so maybe now is a good time to bring up your colostomy bag. Herpes. Third-degree burns. Dating can be challenging for singles with medical conditions. Ricky Durham was inspired to start an Internet dating company where people with medical conditions could meet a love interest. The site, Prescription4Love.com, is less than 2 years old and has 1,000 members. The site offers search options for more than a dozen medical conditions, including arthritis, cancer, deafness, diabetes, epilepsy, herpes, HIV, HPV and obesity.

Plenty Of Fish; Plenty Of Cash

Posted on July 7, 2007

Plentyoffish_logoCHICAGO TRIBUNE — July 6 — Markus Frind, the 29-year old founder of Plenty of Fish, posted a check recently showing the site earned nearly $1 million from Google AdSense in a 2-month period. He gave it to all his employees. Markus is also the only employee. The site recently jumped into the top 100 among all US Websites. Markus says he’s been ignored the last 4 years because of ethnocentricity towards US sites. (Plenty of Fish is in Canada.) See below for a full interview with this trade-school trained entrepreneur.

Online Dating Safety Tips

Posted on October 31, 2006

Sf_tipsCHICAGO TRIBUNE's RED EYE — Oct 24 — Here's how to stay safe when making your cyber love match:
– For first meetings, always meet in a public, populated place and don't end up at your or your date's home. Don't have your date pick you up at your home, either.
– Tell a friend or family member whom you're meeting, where you're going and when you expect to return. Bring your cell phone with you.
– Don't share your real identity or private contact information until you're comfortable with the person. Set up a third-party e-mail address you use exclusively for dating, and don't reveal your home address until you've been on a couple of dates.
– Until you've known the person for a while, don't get too drunk or leave your drink or personal belongings unattended.
SOURCE: Match.com Safety tips and Online personals industry analyst Mark Brooks

Soon, you will be able to get an anonymous phone number—a Vumber—so that you can talk to new dates without them knowing your real phone number. Calls to your Vumber will ring to whatever cell or landline you choose, but the caller will only know your Vumber. You also can make outgoing calls from the Vumber so your real phone number won't appear on someone else's Caller ID. The Web site www.vumber.com will be live in November, and the service is slated for release at the Internet Dating Convention in January.

Mark Brooks: Vumber is my client. I'm guiding their strategy, business development efforts and PR. The service will be simple, inexpensive, and designed for singles (and online personals sites).