Online Dating

Online dating is about to get a major shakeup. And when I say major, I really mean major. Spark Networks, which owns popular dating sites like JDate and Christian Mingle, has put itself up for sale and has at least one prospective suitor.

The big news comes on the heels of the company unexpectedly postponing its annual shareholder meeting in June, two days before it was scheduled. The move allowed Spark Networks to put its focus on the potential deal and to sidestep a board battle with its largest shareholder, Osmium. Things have been tense lately with Osmium, a San Francisco hedge fund that has been pushing for board seats over concerns that Spark has been neglecting to allocate sufficient funds for JDate while over-spending on Christian Mingle.

Spark has spent $120 million in direct marketing on Christian Mingle since 2011, which has helped grow Christian Mingle’s subscribers by almost 700 percent since 2010. Revenue is also up, from $45 million in 2008 to $70 million in 2013, but along with those efforts came dramatically increased costs as a percentage of revenue.

Meanwhile JDate, the most famous and lucrative site in the Spark Networks arsenal, looks to be going through a rough patch. According to Osmium, the Jewish dating site posted revenue of $6.1 million in the first quarter – its lowest level since 2006. Jewish subscribers have also declined to  2006 levels.

All of this is coming at the same time as big-time changes for the Spark Networks board. When the delayed annual shareholder meeting finally took place, four of the company’s six sitting directors were nixed, including Chairman and CEO Greg Liberman. The shareholders instead picked four directors nominated by – surprise! – Osmium. One of the two Spark directors who was re-elected, Thomas Stockham, resigned not long afterwards.

“The new board is eager to work alongside Spark employees with a renewed sense of urgency, accountability and focus, in order to drive increased shareholder value,” said Osmium’s founder and new Spark director John Lewis to the New York Post.

As for what’s happening with the sale of Spark Networks, everyone involved is remaining tight-lipped for now. The name of the prospective buyer has yet to be revealed, but the New York Post notes that “the world of online dating companies is small and currently dominated by Barry Diller’s IAC, which owns popular dating sites Match.com, OKCupid and Tinder.”

If you’re one of the largest and most successful online dating sites around, what would be your next move in the ever-changing dating market? Would you focus on growing your membership, improving your technology, or ramping up your marketing efforts?

Online dating giant Match.com has decided to focus on building its app business – since that’s where most online daters go now (instead of their laptops).

But Match.com has taken things a step further, trying to get ahead of the technology curve. They’ve announced that this month they will be launching one of the first dating apps for Android Wearables, so you can effectively “wear your heart on your wrist.”

Android Wearables are small, powerful devices worn on the body – kind of like a mobile phone worn as a wristwatch. More stylish and less intrusive than Google Glass (there’s no clandestine recording of someone as you’re watching them), Android Wearables make access to your mobile information a bit easier. For instance, you can respond to texts, instant messages and emails by voice. You can also ask for directions with its handy GPS feature, or reach fitness goals if you’re a runner or biker. It connects to your phone, so you can access the same basic information that’s on your mobile device, but it’s hands-free.

The Match app for Android Wearables will cater to busy and active singles who are already purchasing this new technology. The app offers basic features that you’d find with any online dating app, but it’s driven by voice commands, which makes it easier than typing when you’re out and about. Notifications for winks and messages from other members are sent straight to your Android wearable. With pulse notifications, you’ll know exactly when someone has reached out to you. To reply, simply swipe to read an incoming message and respond directly with the app’s voice command feature. (Make sure you are in a private place unless you want the general public to know about your dating life.)

You also receive your daily matches so you can choose who to respond to, rating with a “yes” or “no” a la Tinder. You can also find singles nearby with the handy GPS feature.

I’m not sure why it’s important to check your dating app when you’re on a bike ride or jog, but it seems that would be the point of using Android Wearables instead of just picking up your phone and silently texting your matches when you’re able. But maybe that’s just me.

The app will be available for Android Wearable users this month. For more on this service please read our Match.com review.

The reach of IAC in online dating is enviable to its competition. The company owns Match.com, OkCupid, and has a majority stake in Tinder, and now they are looking to acquire a new company with a sizable chunk of the online dating market – How About We.

The buzz has already been growing about the possible acquisition, at least among the company’s employees. When there’s speculation about such a move, the first thing on employees’ minds is – will we still have a job after this acquisition happens?

According to a letter obtained by Business Insider, co-founder Brian Schechter addressed employees directly about the matter:

Indeed, we are still finalizing a deal and zero final decisions have been made. That a deal is even a possibility should remain completely confidential. I know this is a bumpy – and let’s face it – a weird moment but we should proceed in a manner that is really smart, graceful, and empowering for everyone.

It is a strange move considering the recent history of How About We. Earlier this year the company snatched up Nerve.com to compete with IAC. How About We wanted to build its brand in a different way – through its content and unique premise, including three new websites created in addition to Nerve.com. They also wanted to appeal to couples as well as singles, putting more marketing efforts into their How About We for couples date planning service. Most importantly, they wanted to distinguish themselves from the online dating giant IAC.

Despite the potentially lucrative news for co-founders Brian Schechter and Aaron Schildkraut, things have not been going smoothly, at least as far as employee trust and loyalty.

According to Business Insider, to whom the original letter was leaked, one staffer claims many employees had individual meetings with Schechter and Schildkrout last week on Wednesday and Thursday in a glass-walled conference room. During those meetings, the staffer said they were notified they could be fired due to budgetary restrictions when the company transitions to IAC. The founders relayed that after Monday they would know "how many people can stay."

However, it was also reported that three employees were later texted that they would be able to keep their jobs. However, Schechter recanted the offer when one of those employees reminded him of a recent raise.

Regardless of what ends up happening with the acquisition, the handling of it has been anything but “smart, graceful or empowering.” Maybe it’s time for How About We to end the date and move on.

I like to think we live in a world where income is unimportant compared to connection, but let’s get real: the world is nowhere even close to that. Like it or not, dating and finances are inextricably intertwined, and that probably isn’t changing any time soon.

The problem becomes even more apparent when you’re dating online, where many profiles include a section for salary. Is it really anyone’s business to know that information before you’ve even met in person? And what are the repercussions, if they do?

If you make significantly less than someone you’re interested in, will you feel inadequate? Will they think you’re only involved with them for their money?

Everybody’s got that one ex in their back catalogue. The one they think they’ll never get over. The one they’re sure is the love of their life. The one who convinces them they’re doomed to singlehood forever, because no one will ever compare.

You'll probably never get that ex back but now, thanks to a partnership between Match.com and a new matchmaking startup, you might have the chance to date someone who looks just like them.

It’s got to be one of the most unusual (or maybe just downright creepy) dating services out there at the moment. Match has teamed up with Three Date Rule to offer a “white-glove approach” to dating for the white-glove price of $5000. For that paltry sum, you can send in photos of your ex that Three Date Rule will use to find you a new suitor.

“If you like one facial structure, you will probably like someone with a similar facial structure,” explains Three Day Rule founder Talia Goldstein. In addition to finding a lookalike, TDR coaches will interview you in person and even go on pre-dates with potential matches to vet them before making an introduction. Why go through the gruelling work of weeding out weirdos when you could hire someone else to do it for you?

Three Day Rule matchmakers are a team of highly-educated dating experts known for their intuition, compassion, trustworthiness, and genuine desire to help clients find meaningful relationships. Most had successful corporate careers before making the transition to matchmaking, often at Fortune 500 companies. What sets the company apart from the competition is its unique blend of traditional matchmaking techniques (like in-depth personality assessment) with cutting-edge facial recognition technology designed to determine what clients are most attracted to.

The powerhouse partnership between Match and Three Date Rule is beneficial on both sides. "We know there is a segment of busy professionals on Match who would love to have a high-touch service to help them find a compatible partner," says Amarnath Thombre, President of Match. "People come to Match because of the quality and scale of our membership base, and now with Three Day Rule as a partner, we can combine the convenience of a white-glove matchmaking service with our huge community of high quality members."

For Three Day Rule, Match’s support means improved access to its current markets and eventual expansion to other markets. “With Match's support, we will be able to further build out our team of matchmakers and realize our vision of becoming the most recognized, trusted, and respected matchmaking brand in the country," says Talia Goldstein.

Brazil is heating up for singles, and not just because of its sunny weather.

Dating app Tinder is apparently a hot commodity among those taking part in the World Cup festivities. News site Quartz recently reported that Tinder has seen a 50% increase in downloads since the World Cup began last month.

Brazil is Tinder’s third-largest user base behind the US and the UK, and the app is available in Portuguese.

Hookup apps like Tinder and Grindr, which are popular around the world, allow users to swipe through pictures of potential matches that are geographically close to them, accepting or rejecting based on a few photos and a brief profile description. If two people select one another, they can start chatting and then take it from there. This simple process caters perfectly to short-time travelers looking for a fling.

First, we saw Tinder downloads spike during the Olympics, especially in Olympic Village where the athletes mingle with fellow athletes, fans watching the games or employees working the events. Now with the World Cup festivities drawing fans from all over the world to watch and celebrate the games, we’re seeing another significant spike in dating app downloads.

It seems dating apps are becoming more popular at major events that draw huge crowds. Tinder has become a popular tool for singles traveling during the summer to meet up with other singles, so it only makes sense that events like the World Cup would attract a lot of new users. Why not try something new when you’re in a foreign city with tons of people all around that you could meet?

The numbers also seem to favor women, especially local Brazilian women. Many men have come to Brazil not only to watch the World Cup, but to meet the stereotypical idea of the sexy, beautiful Brazilian woman. An unofficial poll suggested as many as 90% of the tourists are men.

Grindr, a popular app among the gay community, has also seen its numbers spike by 31% in Brazil since the World Cup began. Brazil is the sixth-largest market for Grindr.

An estimated 600,000 tourists from 186 countries are expected to visit Brazil during the World Cup, adding to the 3.1 million Brazilians who will be on the road for the championship. And as reported by Quartz, alcohol and hook-ups go hand in hand. Annual beer sales in the country are likely to rise 37%—bringing in about $816 million—during the month-long tournament.

For more on a popular dating app you can read our Tinder review.