Did you know that ?

Did you know that only in the French marketplace there are over 2000 dating websites?  The popularity of dating sites in France have gone over the top and with that also the competition. What do dating sites have to do in order to create a name and become successful in such a complicated market? 

For one, they should have a well-organized database with a good content of members’ information, good technology and effective services.

Online dating is a high involvement product; for this reason customers will pay more attention on all elements of the dating service. In the same time, how to be more attractive will be a big topic for all dating websites. Recently, some dating websites attempt not only to work on the online dating service, but also provide some dating and meeting activities below the line to attract the potential customers. The more touch points to contact the customers the more marketing share they will gain.

As we can see, dating websites are expanding and developing rapidly with the increase of online chat platforms such as instant messaging. The number of registered members have grown so much that several websites have decided to specialized, for example that “Gay Droite Rencontre” is a website with sexual and political targeted interests, and “amour Maghreb” is with religion interests. We can count 18 millions singles in France and one third are registered on one or several dating sites. From the INSEE survey about the marriage, in 2010, only 250 thousands of French got married, and about 130 thousands were divorced. 

Laurence et Christophe - They found love after only 3 weeks chatting on Meetic 

Vincent et Alexandra - "With his humoristic personality, I immediately knew he was for me"

Recently, the number of people get married or finding love have increased because of the dating websites. Cordia is one of the beneficiary of the dating website, who found her husband on the Match.com in 2009. After the fist time meeting and chatting on the website, they kept in touch online.  30 months later, they had the first face to face date, and then they made their relationship real, getting married in 2012. Since then, Cordia has shared her happy experience online and has encouraged singles to be brave to find the Mr. or Mrs. Right online. 

The Anatomy of Brand Positioning: Meetic (2007-20012) and Adopte (2012)

Whereas Meetic doubled its turnover in 2007 and, In the first semester of 2012, 100 000 subscribers quit Meetic and the turnover decreased in -10.8%. (La Parisienne, 2012)

Why has the position of the brand changed ? 

We will analyse it in 2007 and 2012 with the anatomy of brand positioning (Marketing foundation, Jobber and Fahy)

Anatomy of brand positioning 2007-2012 MEETIC

With this new position, Meetic is not anymore fashion and much more vulnerable towards new competitors (even young ones!). It seems that its new sub brands more specific (Gay, Affinity, VIP) are not enough not "cancel" the current image of Meetic as generalist, classic and old fashion dating website for this relatively young target.

What about Adopte Un Mec ?

Anatomy of brand positioning 2012 ADOPTE UN MEC

Sources:
http://www.leparisien.fr/laparisienne/societe/meetic-delaisse-par-100-000-abonnes-31-07-2012-2108538.php
http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/le-net/resultats-meetic-t1-2012-0512.shtml

Keller's Branding Pyramid

keller's Branding Pyramid is a customers-based brand equity,which helps us more effective and corrective to understand the level of the awareness of the consumers with the brand, in the following pyramid we can see the differences and similarities when associating with two dating website: meetic and adopt un mec. Event though, they are in the same industry and market,but they still have different approaches for dating and communications. Thus giving them very different images in the eyes of the customers.

Kapferer Prism Comparison of two brands... Meetic & Adopt un Mec

Kapferer's Prism Comparison of two brands... Meetic & Adopt un Mec

Meetic and Adopt Un Mec might be both in the same business, online dating services, but their public, approaches and image in the eyes of the public are completely different.  Using Kapferer's prism, some of the most outstanding characteristics of these two brands are detailed above. Adopt Un Mec is a recent dating website whose target is for the most part young people looking to find love, have fun, and meet new people which makes it fun, trendy and most importantly exciting for its customers.  Meetic, on the other hand, is the veteran site for dating services, it own several other brands and is directed towards several different targets, it therefore has a more serious approach and is, in the eyes of the people, more trustworthy and safe than the rest of the dating websites around the web.

Adopt Un Mec entered the dating websites market with such innovative strategies, that have make them an interesting competition to such a big brand name as Meetic and they are sure giving them a run for their money, on the younger market segment.  They carry out interesting communication strategies, some that might even be considered inappropriate, others that are very fun to watch most of them treating men as objects and giving the women total control over the relationship and decision making. Their bizarre techniques have paid-off, giving them a large audience of both men and women.

Meetic as I mentioned before is a veteran, and own most of the dating- sites out there on the web, their approach is more serious and is backed up by their years of experience and the countless success stories. Their communication focuses mostly on emotions, on finding true love, and on the success stories of their customers. Considering that they focus on an older audience, they are doing pretty well still, especially now that online-dating has become "cool" and not so much the taboo it used to be, one that Meetic has been able to outlive.

Take a look at the comparison above, and let us know what you think about both brands... which one would you trust??

How often do you log on your dating website?

How much time will you pass in the dating website? How frequently would you log in a dating website? 

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgV8lKmGb7rwUQ4P6aA_oJybF9cKwqyg4Q_AtQ_5HiZgX1yX2tu0uqZiGN2zef07wyTFLvqE843KgsXu0bF4jWwlUdh56P_UcbOmKrf84mowY7ivwmqMslvjuKxph9FRLWq8V41ojN2Z-X/s1600/images+%282%29.jpeg 
             https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKkf3UHqkTv54iIiyn1fPn-JUz_bwrkKFv8deUTltMmstctSIprps-7CgBP9ihTqzPlgOgVMxHkvLSkU_L0FSAlYfxvOBf2hEJc1GAn-x7HPzTOHTMxxXn16A4ShIoVaCpEzvYO73u6OC/s1600/images+%281%29.jpeg

It really depends on the personal habits and free time. An online survey, it indicates that over 42% of users will logged on 1 or 2 times per week, if they get more serious, the frequency will become more. Around 13%, they logged once per 3 weeks. And about 28% subscribers log in the dating website 3 or 4 times and spends one hour online. The rests are only registered in the dating website, rarely seriously into it.

It is you turn, how often do you log on your dating website?

Resources:

http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingPosts8352528.aspx

http://www.loveshack.org/forums/romantic/dating/214277-call-e-mail-frequency-communication-online-dating-pros

Which archetype will be available?

An archetype is a vivid approach to understand the brand image and identification in a simple，straightforward , objective and more or less universal way. According to the characteristics of personality, there are 12 types of brand archetypes: The hero, the outlaw, the helper, the jester, the innocent, the adventure, the sage, and the all things to all people…

What is the purpose of the brand finding an archetype? There are two objectives:
 1. Help the customers find the brand’s differentiation. 
 2. Help the company  understand the competition.

According to the characteristics of the archetype, we think adopteunmec would be the jester. As we mentioned in the previous articles, adopteunmec has the funny and fashionable image for the clients' delight and entertainment.  Directed especially towards a younger audience, who are ready to enjoy the innovative methods that adopteunmec offers them.

Meetic, with its success stories in the past years and its serious, traditional brand image, we can identify meetic understands the online dating well. Hence, the sage will be more matched with it. So the trust of the brand’ executive capability created between with the brand and the customers, in the same time, more loyalty customers are maintained.

Source:http://tomfishburne.com/2010/07/brand-archetypes.html

How they promote their brands?

Who didn't see one of the Meetic billboard this summer ? They were everywere, in the street, in the subway, in Paris, Lyon and other big cities but also in your holidays place, near the beach!
This campaign was really impactfull, it was probably an answer to its decreasing popularity amoung young people (also due to new competitors). They creates a multitud of different print adaptated to different places in France. The goal is that targetting people feel touch because the brand adreess directly to them with a written form and located next to a place that fit with the print. For example, you can find this print next to the Parc Monceau.







What about Adopte Un Mec ?





This is an advertising taken from the famous food guide of Lyon "Le Petit Paumé". This is their most recent advertising and it is very interesting to see that it is very similar to Meetic last summer campaing.

Points of similarities:
- Unique color background with text
- Humor: "Destockage de Lyonnais"
- Adress directly to the audience

Points of differences:
- use of provocation and irony: references to famous soccer player from OL (Lyon) --> they are associated to stock products to be sold. It can even be perceive as humiliated for them. They seem at the disposal of everybody like any other product.