Category: Outlets – USA Today
Match Group Wants To Improve Matching Algorithm Based On First Date’s Feedback
USA TODAY – May 3 – As the Vice Chair of the Match Group, Sam Yagan looks to bring the dating apps to the next level – feedback about dates. “The data will be transformative,” said Yagan. “We will learn a lot more, and do a better job of matching you up.”” What kind of information is he looking for? “The first step is actually knowing that you went out on the date,” he says. “It’s something most dating apps don’t really know how to do.” His apps are working and fine-tuning the algorithms so it can make more informed suggestions about who to date.
USA Today Interview With Tinder’s CEO
USA TODAY – Nov 9 – USA Today sat down with Tinder CEO Sean Rad for an extended interview about Tinder. Dating app Tinder has seen ~10B matches.
OneGoodCrush: Tinder/eHarmony For LGBTQ People
USA TODAY – July 16 – OneGoodCrush is a new dating app that is aimed toward people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. This app is now available on iOS and Android, and recently raised $500K in seed funding. Co-founder of the app, Frank Mastronuzzi, said OneGoodCrush is for people looking for serious relationships, not just casual hookups. Users are offered a roulette of profiles, and they can swipe right if they are interested and left if they are not. If two members match with each other, then they can freely message back and forth.bThe app is connected through Facebook and Instagram. The app has attracted ~100K users (70% of whom are active) since its soft launch three months ago.
SpecialBridge.com Caters To People With Disabilities
USA TODAY – Aug 20 – Jaclyn Ellis has just joined a new dating site, called Special Bridge. The site was created by Jaclyn’s sister and her fiancé when they saw the need for a dating site for people with disabilities.
by Jaye Watson
See full article at USA Today
Match.com Partners With SinglesCruise.com
USA TODAY – July 15 - Match.com and SinglesCruise.com partners to offer special trips during Halloween and New Year. While the ship sailings are open to the public, those who book through Match.com's blog, Up to Date, or through singlescruise.com will have access to special events and a private message board to meet fellow single passengers on their trip. Pricing starts at $1,181 per person.
Tinder Sued For Sexual Harassment
USA TODAY – June 30 - Tinder is being sued for sexual harassment and discrimination by Whitney Wolfe, former marketing VP. In the suit, she alleges Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen stripped Wolfe of her co-founder title, telling her that having a "24‐year-old girl" as a co-founder made the company "seem like a joke." Wolfe also alleges Mateen called her a "whore" in front of CEO Sean Rad.
Online Dating Services Get Into Matchmaking Big Leagues
USA TODAY – May 20 - Match.com and Three Day Rule announce partnership to get Match into high-dollar matchmaking. eHarmony launched eH+ ($5k service) matchmaking in Jan. "They've got very significant market shares. Between them, they own the industry, and where do they go from there?" dating industry analyst Mark Brooks says. "They have two problems — a limited number of people left to reach and a limited price point."
Matchmaking has exploded in the past few years. Bravo's The Millionaire Matchmaker and other copycats have targeted the professional who has plenty of money but not enough time to hunt for a relationship. Traditional dating sites, which have millions of daters, haven't tried to reach this profitable market until now. Match.com gets a cut from each customer at Three Day Rule, says Sam Yagan, CEO of Match Group. Three Day Rule has matchmakers in New York, L.A., Chicago and San Francisco and will add matchmakers in Dallas, Boston and Washington by the end of the year. Six months costs $5k.
Minnesota Senator Introduced Bill To Protect Users’ Privacy On Mobiles
USA TODAY – Mar 27 – As mobile dating proliferates, the focus no longer is just on daters leery of scams or sexual predators but also on keeping their location confidential. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., introduced legislation requiring companies to get customers' permission before collecting location data off their mobile devices and sharing it with others. It's a move that would greatly affect dating sites and apps.
Mobile Video A Growing Trend In Online Dating
USA TODAY – Jan 26 – Mobile video communication is one of the latest trends in online dating and is the focus of a number of services including Dating.fm, Flikdate, VideoDate, View N Me and Instamour. "Skype started the whole genre change and FaceTime took it into mobile," says Marc Lesnick, founder of iDate. "FaceTime already proves that the model works." Mobile video communication is made with advances in mobile technology and allows for a limited first date experience without the full commitment of an in-person meeting.