Match.com Ramps Up Campaign To Boost UK Dominance In 2009

Released on: January 22, 2009, 7:52 am

Press Release Author: Katie Sheppard

Industry: Internet & Online

Press Release Summary: New major marketing drive from match.com urges singles to kick off the New Year with a to visit match.com rather than just waiting for Cupid and Fate

Press Release Body: Match.com, the UK's biggest online dating site*, is set to launch a multimillion pound nationwide advertising push to ring in the New Year. The campaign follows hot on the heels of a successful 2008 in which match.com achieved a brand awareness double that of its nearest competitor**.

In 2008 match.com focused on tempting people to try online dating and making it the new natural way to find a partner. For 2009, match.com is focused on further extending its leadership role in the UK through brand differentiation using ROI focused marketing initiatives and an ongoing commitment to product innovation to give members the best possible chance to find love.

The new campaign sees the return of Cupid and Fate in a new role as advocates for the match.com brand. The creative features the lazy, comedic duo realising for the very first time that match.com is doing their jobs too well. The hopelessness of both characters simply amplifies match.com's strengths and benefits such as; the original Six Month Love Guarantee, the brand new personality test and that there are more single people looking for love on match.com than anywhere else.

The campaign urges singles not to wait for Cupid and Fate and visit match.com instead with half the creative dedicated to promoting match.com's brand new personality test. Formulated by world renowned anthropologist Dr Helen Fisher the 'match insights' test is designed to help members find real love by understanding their personality type.

Jason Stockwood, International MD at match.com commented, "We believe that love is too important to be taken seriously which is why all our campaigns have a sense of humour. The new campaign is entertaining and motivating, urging people not to wait for Cupid and Fate in their quest for love and visit match.com instead. There are now hundreds of thousands of match success stories and we're looking forward to increasing that number in 2009 by providing the best possible experience and making match.com the brand of choice for online dating."

The new 'Don't Wait For Cupid and Fate' adverts consist of a series of 30" and 10" spots which will run across ITV, C4, C5 and satellite channels in heavy weight bursts across the year. The campaign has been developed by match.com's long-standing creative agency hanft raboy and partners (HRP), with media buying handled by Initiative. The key demographic for the adverts is 25-34 year old women.

Once again up-and-coming actors Glenn Hirst and Spencer Jones play Cupid and Fate respectively and the campaign was directed by Nick Jones, from Another Film Company, known for his work with top comedians Simon Pegg, Mitchell & Webb and the 118 118 commercial campaigns with Emma Johnston as producer.

November saw the launch of match insights, match.com's brand new personality test. Designed by Dr Helen Fisher the test brings science to the art of single dating to the site for the very first time and it has been completed by over 60,000 people already. To follow will be a premium service for subscribers, 'daily insights' which delivers the very best matches each day based on their personality type.

-Ends-

Editor's notes:
*match.com (including websites powered by match.com e.g. match affiliates, MSN Dating and Personals and Yahoo Personals) is the UK's leading internet dating site according to Nielsen Net Ratings' measurements of unique visitors October 2008.
** Isurus brand study June 2008.

About match.com:
match.com is one of the original pioneers of online personals when it launched on the Web in 1995 and continues to lead this exciting and evolving category after more than a decade. Throughout its 13-year history, match.com has redefined the way people meet and fall in love and is credited with more marriages than any other site. Today, more than 15 million people around the world participate in the match.com relationship network, providing a rich tapestry of ethnicities, interests, goals, ambitions, quirks, looks and personalities from which to choose.

Web Site: http://www.uk.match.com/

Contact Details:
PR contact:
Katie Sheppard
match.com
The Communications Building
48 Leicester Square
London
WC2H 7LR
08453458759