Online Dating Giants Learn From Pick-up Artists

THE ECONOMIST – Nov 5 – Love Systems is an American firm that charges up to £3,000 ($5,000) for courses on how to pick-up women. Online dating firms such as eHarmony and eLove have also picked up on the need for dating coach services, though not on the same scale. Mark Brooks, an online-dating consultant, says, “You can meet the best people in the world and still screw it up because you don't know how to date. People need help, guidance, style counselling... feedback when a date goes wrong.” The National Dating Advice Line was launched last month and offers instant guidance from dating “experts” at £1.50 a minute. The British dating market is valued at nearly £100m, with 8% of Britons using online dating sites, compared to an average of 4% in the rest of Europe. However, the roughly 5 million visitors to British dating sites in September are a hard target. Visitor numbers in Britain fall well short of those in America. Mark Brooks believes this is because Britons are more sceptical than their transatlantic cousins. He regularly warns that overblown promises of true love are likely to repel rather than attract. FULL ARTICLE @ THE ECONOMIST

 

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