Online Personals Watch: News on the Dating Industry and Business

One2One Report; The $ingle Dollar

ONE2ONE LIVING -- The US has more single adults than any other nation in the world except for China and India. There are now more single head of households than there are married households with children.  Married-couple households – have fallen from nearly 80% in the 1950s to 50.7% today.  Delaying of marriage and changing societal norms has resulted in a tripling of the number of unmarried men and women in their early thirties; from 9% to 30% for men and from 6% to 22% for women within the past three decades.  Nearly 59% of all singles have never married.  85% of all singles will marry at least once in their lifetime – this is a 10% decrease from the 95% of all Americans, who married at least once in the 1950s. DeBeers, the Diamond Trading Company, has created a right-hand ring for professional women to buy their own jewelry without waiting for till marriage. Unmarried America – American Association of Single Persons (AASP) is an organization modeled after American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) which fights for singles right. 

Mark Brooks: I took a little more time to read One2One's singles report.  Some handy stats.  Very nice!  Thanks to Mary Spio/One2One Living for compiling it.

AdultFriendFinder Sex Survey

BUSINESS WIRE -- Mar 30 -- How long can you go without sex?  For members of AdultFriendFinder.com, the world's largest adult online dating site, the answer is: not long.  45% of the 11,000 respondants said they can't go more than a week without showing signs of deprivation. 14% say they are "masters of their own domain" and can go sexless indefinitely. The survey shows men need (or at least want) sex more: 44% say they can't go more than a week, compared to 34% of women. Only 12% of gay men (survey of 1000 on outpersonals) said they can go without for 1 to 2 months. 

Mark Brooks: The dating sites that seem to be doing really well right now are either focused on serious relationships and personality based matching or, at the other end of the spectrum, casual/sex focused.  AdultFriendFinder (aka Passion.com) attends to the masses who are looking to lead with their sexual preferences.  The site is huge, was started in 1996 by Dr Conru and flys under the wire because of it's sexual content which eliminates it from the online personals rankings on Hitwise, Comscore and Nielsen...who avoid the segment like the plague.  I've (boldly) added a ranking for the adult sites to OPW so you can be a little better informed. 

Youggle.com Launches

PRWEB -- Mar 29 -- Youggle.com has launched; includes a virtual speaking host which guides users though the total sign up stage.  Free 1 month introductory full membership trial period.  PRESS RELEASE @ PR WEB

Mark Brooks: Fill in the blanks... cat in xxxx's chance.  First there was Google, then Youggle.com.  Gotta love it.  "I'll bet Google is drafting the lawsuit documents as we speak."  (Thanks to Glenn Millar for the heads up on this one)  Youggle's speaking host is courtesy of oddcast.com btw.  I use it at ACE-CLUB as well.  I wonder why Lemontonic pulled their speaking host?

Man Accused in Four Deaths Sought Internet Romance

NYNEWSDAY -- Mar 29 -- A man accused of killing four people in Pennsylvania was "a quiet person that can surprise people with a sudden outburst," according to an entry he made on match.com.  "Looking for a relationship without all the head games," read the profile. "Prefers cozy evenings at home, but a night on the town can be just as fun. Would like to meet someone who can express their feelings."
Castor confirmed the profile belonged to Eichinger, a supermarket customer service representative. Match.com removed the profile after being contacted by the newspaper.  Kristen Kelly (Match.com spokeswoman) said the site investigates and removes customer accounts whenever complaints are received, and that it typically depends on members and law enforcement for notification of problems. 

Mark Brooks: ...and go to the local bar or supermarket and the same guy is hanging out, ready to buy you a drink or comment on your choice of wine.  What to do?  I know, let's do background checks on 20 million internet daters!?!  Your comments please.

Friendster Launches Friendster Classifieds in the Philippines

ASIA PULSE -- Mar 29 -- Friendster has launched Friendster Classifieds by Pusit, a Filipino classifieds community designed to serve Metro Manila and the 78 other provinces that make up the Philippines. "Friendster has created a safe, online community for millions of Filipinos who trust us to deliver services that help them keep in touch, meet new friends and share personal interests and experiences," said Joe Hurd, Friendster's director of international bus dev.  SMS alerts for Friendster Classifieds by Pusit users and other text message-based services through Friendster Mobile will be offered soon, in addition to WAP services.  Pusit is Tagalog for "squid" and is a favorite local dish.  RELEASE @ YAHOO ASIA NEWS 

Mark Brooks: Is Friendster gunning for Craigslist?

Dr Warren Interview; Dating Service Founder's Goal: Love that Lasts

FORT WAYNE NEWS SENTINEL -- Mar 28 -- What made you start eHarmony?  "More than anything else, it had to with my grieving over the incredible amount of marriages that kept ending in divorce right in front of me (while working as a psychotherapist). I did 512 divorce autopsies and found that 75% of the marriages that failed were in trouble from the day they started. The reason was that the two people were not very well matched for each other.  We have 436 questions we ask.  71% of all people who start the questionnaire finish it. A soul mate is somebody who tends to see the world in a similar way in which you see it, and when you're around them you feel really good about yourself. Anybody who is emotionally and characteristically healthy has a soul mate. If you're in some way or another pathological, you probably don't have one." 

Mark Brooks: This interview gives some insight to eHarmony's matching methodology and philosophy.  Match based on similarities...extricate the extremes.

Lawmakers Want Dating Sites to Disclose Background Check Info

DETROIT NEWS -- Mar 28 -- Sandie Cornillie did a double take when she first heard about a Michigan bill that would force online dating sites to say whether criminal background checks have been conducted on their members.  "It's a very safe way of getting to know someone before we meet face to face," said Cornillie, who has tried online dating for five years. "I haven't met any rapists or any crazy people. It's kind of up to you to be careful."  Republican Sen. Alan Cropsey of DeWitt is sponsoring the bill.  "There are inherent dangers in the whole area of the Internet," he said. "Something needs to be done."  The legislation is backed by True.com, the only online dating service that performs criminal screening. Similar legislation has been proposed in California, Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Texas. Herb Vest, founder of the site, said the Michigan legislation would save lives, property and heartache. "As an industry, we owe it to our members to inform them of the potential hazards," he said.  In a debate on the floor last week, Democratic Sen. Mark Schauer said some lawmakers are wavering because users still could hide their shady pasts by using fictitious names. "That's a fundamental flaw with this bill," he said.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker... Make Me a Match

INSIDE BAY AREA -- Mar 27 -- In Judaism, old-timers will remind you that arranging three marriages reserves your spot in heaven.  Matchmakers have seen a jump in clientele from the baby boomer generation.  They find out who you are, what you want, screen matches and present you potential mates.  All for the cost of an arm and a leg. Fees range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.  "You pay any which way," says Eva, a matchmaking client. "If you go out to bars to meet people, it costs money, time and effort. (With a matchmaker), you save time."  Kelleher & Associates charges $5,500 for Bay Area clients and $10,000 to $25,000 for multi-city search.  "We screen our clients and meet every single one in person."  FULL ARTICLE @ INSIDE BAY AREA

Mark Brooks: There are two things a man initially needs to communicate to a woman he's attracted to; 1. he's interested  2. he's safe.  Safety and honesty are big issues for online daters.  On Friendster and MySpace friends vouch for friends by leaving testimonials.  There's less inclination to 'fib' on social networks. Users can also judge others by the company (read network) they keep.  WebDate and Tickle are two online dating sites that have successfully introduced 'social networks.'

The $ingle Dollar Industry; $1.6 Trillion Strong

ONE2ONEMAG -- Mar 26 -- Growth in non-traditional-family households will continue to drive purchasing decisions – this is not a passing phase; it is a trend that will continue for the next several years. The impact on population growth and society will have dire consequences for brands that do not make provisions for marketing uniquely to singles.

$1.6 TRILLION in annual spending

86 Million+ Americans Are Single

32.9 Million Singles Live Alone

49.8 % of the Nation’s Consumer Units or

55.8 Million US Households are occupied by Unmarried Americans

42% Of The Nation’s Workforce Is Single

35% Of All Voters in the 2000 Election were single 

Arranged Marriages in the Modern Indian Community

THE STAR (MALAYSIA) -- Mar 26 -- With the advent of internet dating you would think that arranged marriages among the Indian community are a thing of the past.  Not so.  Arranged marriages work through family networking.  “I feel it’s their job to find me a man since they brought me into this world. I have no time to go looking around. They know me best.”  Usually, parents enlist the help of a matchmaker; most are not paid for their services.  FULL ARTICLE @ THE STAR

Mark Brooks: Shaadi.com is the most popular of the 'matrimonials' sites.

Social Software Pioneer Userplane Finalist at Flash Film Festival

BUSINESS WIRE -- Mar 24 -- Userplane's Webchat application has been named a finalist in the Flash Film Festival 2005 San Francisco -- a competition and gala awards ceremony honoring the Internet's most innovative work using Macromedia's Flash development environment.

Mark Brooks: Userplane enables online dating sites (amongst others) with cutting edge messaging and A/V tools. 

California Background Check Legislation; Michigan Moving Forward, California Dead in the Water

OPW SCOOP -- Mar 23 -- My source is council for a major online dating company and informs me that Michigan is moving forward full steam and is debating the legislation right now.  Two weeks ago the bill passed through the Michigan Senate judiciary committee where Match.com and Netcoalition opposed the bill.  Also, a letter from a number of companies opposing the bill was presented.  The legislation was on the floor of Michigan senate earlier today where it came up under 'general orders,' but is not expected to come up for vote until the week of April 11^th, after a two week recess (spring break).  If successful the bill would still need to go through the Michigan house of representatives.  If it passes there, it would go on to the Michigan governor and would pass into law as long as the governor didn't veto it.  So, the industry has an opportunity to weigh in over the next couple of weeks.  Regarding California; the bill’s author has indicated she does not plan to pursue the legislation this year.  It’s dead in the water, for now.  My alternate source is Ravi Mehta of Capitol-Advocates, a lobbyist who has been monitoring the bill, and he affirms that the author of the California bill is not moving forward.  However, there is another bill in California (ab766 chavez) that calls for online dating sites to remove profiles when users request them to be removed.  There’s always the chance that this bill (or others) could be amended with some of the language from the background checks legislation. 

Mark Brooks: Marc has the bills published in their entirety at idate2005.com fyi

Friendster Invests in Filipino Online Classified Service

INQ7 -- Mar 24 -- Friendster has disclosed its partnership with Pusit, which has been running an online classified service since last year.  Last year, Friendster launched its first mobile service in the Philippines with a Filipino mobile phone content provider.  FULL ARTICLE @ INQ7

Making Plaxo a Paying Proposition

BUSINESS WEEK -- Mar 22 -- Plaxo is launching two new premium services: an address book customers can access from any mobile phone and a service designed for power users to clean up information on contacts that may have switched jobs or moved.  The mean number of contacts is 340.  FULL ARTICLE @ BUSINESS WEEK

Mark Brooks: I worked on eturn.com which became xpherix.com in 1999.  Same idea.  Pays to have smart (VC) money.

Yahoo Buying Photo-Sharing Service Flickr

SAN FRANCISCO - Yahoo is acquiring photo-sharing company, Flickr, that lets people share digital images, expanding its portfolio of self-publishing and "social networking" services. The company's slogan is, "This isn't your grandfather's photo-sharing site." FULL ARTICLE @ YAHOO Mark Brooks: Multiply is a competitor to Flickr

IDEA OASIS Announces Opposition to State Legislation Aimed at Regulating Online Dating

BUSINESS WIRE -- Mar 21 -- IDEA-OASIS, the Internet Dating Executive Alliance/Online Association for Social Industry Standards www.ideaoasis.org, today announced its formal opposition to state legislative efforts regarding personals companies conducting background checks on all users of Internet dating and online matchmaking services. It's "legislative overkill vs self-regulation through better business models and policies," said Michael Jones, president of IDEA OASIS. "In addition to damaging individual privacy, this kind of misguided effort may ultimately undermine e-commerce -- from giants such as eBay and Amazon down to the small business and start-ups. In the end, the supposed cure is worse than the disease, which is why we believe this will simply force the hand of online businesses and impair the rights of free speech and free communication online."  Meir Strahlberg, CEO, Date.com, said "rather than risk giving consumers a false sense of security with criminal checks that are not 100% accurate, responsible companies in the industry should continue to promote safety guidelines to those in the online dating community." 

IAC to Buy Ask Jeeves for $1.85B

CLICKZ -- Mar 21 -- IAC/InterActiveCorp to purchase Ask Jeeves for $1.85 billion. IAC intends to grow Ask Jeeves by using its local content properties, which include Citysearch, Ticketmaster, Evite, Expedia and Match.com.  FULL ARTICLE @ CLICKZ

Mark Brooks: Great strategic move that will help lock in Match.com as the top online personals player.  No doubt prompted by rising advertising costs. 

Real-life ‘Hitches’ Just a Phone Call Away

PRWEB -- Mar 21 -- LookBetterOnline.com has teamed up with some of America’s leading relationship experts to bring emergency advice to the masses.  Singles can pick a dating expert of their choice, give them a call and — for less than the price of a movie ticket — get a personal consultation. When his kiss is a peck, she can pick up the phone and find out what it means. When she says, “You’re like my best friend...,” he can pull out his finger and dial his emergency number. RELEASE @ PRWEB

Looking for Love in All the Sports Places

DENVER POST -- Mar 19 -- Professional basketball, baseball and tennis have all added Singles Night to the pantheon of themed events designed to lure more fans on game day.  "The pendulum is shifting back to wanting to meet in more traditional way," said author/sociologist Dr Jan Yager.  "Really what society needs is an authentic community, where people can go at the end of the workday" and feel connected, said Ava Rosenblum, who conducted a two-year study of online romance.  FULL ARTICLE @ DENVER POST

Mark Brooks: Online personals world, meet the real world.  Now how to make the two connect?  The promise of online personals > hooking (compatible) people up in the real world.

MySpace Releases Online Music Album

SOCALTECH -- Mar 18 -- MySpace.com has launched an online music album for the group "Queens of the Stone Age". MySpace offered streaming access to the new album to users of the MySpace.com service ahead of the album's physical release.  FULL ARTICLE @ SOCALTECH

Mark Brooks: MySpace; in with the in crowd.  Prime territory for the 18-34 yr olds that TV is failing to captivate.