OPW - Oct 23 - DownToEarth, a free dating site run by Match.com's parent company IAC Interactive, announced exclusively to Online Personals Watch today that the site has relaunched as Stir.com. The new brand will focus on offering young adults ideas for where to go on dates.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Stir.com is going live today to give 18 to 25 year olds suggestions about the best places to go, and people to go with, based on their interests,” said Jacob Solotaroff, General Manager of Stir. “We learned a lot from our trial with DownToEarth.com and know that we have a unique way to help college-aged people interact with one another. Stir.com will help them mix up their nights.”
All of DowntoEarth.com's members have been rolled over to Stir.com. Older members will be incentivised to try Match.com. The site was always meant to be an experiment. They learned that younger generation members weren't over the bar scene, and wanted a more casual environment to 'hang out' in.
Stir has teamed up with fellow IAC directory site Citysearch.com to provide daters with personalized restaurant, bar and activity recommendations. Members will also eventually be able to post their own event suggestions. Social networking features include photo sharing, as Stir members will be able to upload pictures from their excursions. Stir will eventually allow users to buy tickets directly on the site. Tickets to some New York City Halloween parties are already available for users.
The monetization plan for Stir is still in the development stages, according to Solotaroff.
Stir is part of Match’s new plan to target specific dating verticals. In July, Match acquired People Media and its 27 niche dating sites that cater to specifics communities, from singles parents to various religious affiliations.
"Match.com has been increasing its portfolio of vertical dating sites like BlackSinglesMeet and JPeopleMeet,” said Tom Smithyman, Senior Director of Success Marketing at Match.com. “These sites cater to people of certain demographics or with certain interests. Stir.com is adding people 18-25 to that mix, and we're confident it will have a big impact on Match.com's overall business."
Solotaroff says the name Stir was chosen, because the title encourages users to be social and try new activities.
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