After watching True continue to appeal to lower and lower functions of the brain, my guess was the next round of ads would be comprised of nothing more than a pair of talking breasts. Imagine my surprise when I saw this ad on Myspace. Instead of areola, Myspacers are greeted with ad copy that *almost* makes sense. Instead of joining groups or friend trains, True will help you find new friends. Why would someone pay a site to find friends when they are already on myspace? I can see going from free to paid, but paid to free for just friendship? True slowly gaining a reputation a sex site, why are they talking about love and friendship? This mixed messaging confuses people, or is it just me?
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True has a serious identity crisis and to me wreaks of a business opportunist without an internal compass. Rather than having a true vision in the beginning, they jumped on what they thought was an opportunity to cram legislation down people’s throats. When that didn’t work, they headed stragight for myspace and sex. Talk about two-faced. Umm, weren’t they suppose to be about truth and sincerity? Couldn’t they have strayed any further from their previous message?
Despite the way all fairy tales seem to work out, it seems this latest approach may be working for them. Last I checked, their rankings are up!
Mixed message in their marketing, do you think? Do you mean background checks, pure cleavage ads and “True Christian’s” (I kid you not, their other affiliate offer at Azoogleads) don’t mix? They have the credibility of a used car salesman. Do you think Herb wears those jackets like Herb Tarlek of WKRP fame when he lobbies?
Depending on how this new law in the senate goes, herb vest could spend 15 years in prison for his Bursting at the seems ad.
http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39159571,00.htm
The “big boys” of the online dating world continue to amaze me with their total lack of common sense, and innovation. True seems to be the worst, but match.com’s latest attempts at extra revenue are pure stupidity. Pay to see when someone reads your email? Are they serious? Who cares if they read it? Now if you could pay to make them respond, that’s an idea. HA!
If not for this reason alone, sites such as ours (Collaboradate.com), plentyoffish, and okcupid will in due time, will put these paid sites out of busness.
My comments probably do sound ridiculous!!! I realize that, and I know that there will be a lot of naysayers in my path. I deal with it every day, even from my friends. Now I may crash and burn, and everyone can say “I told you so” (including you Dave :) ), but I am more of the glass is half full kind of guy. People told the Wright Brothers sustained flight was impossible, and though they are leaps and bounds out of my league, I look to stories like theirs for inspiration.
I know we are a little late in the game for free online dating, but I truly believe that with our service, reputation, innovation, and ability to take risks, that someday we will be a force to be reckoned with. But hey what do I know, I am just one guy trying to make the world a better place, and get a date for some people along the way.
The complete site redesign, and feature additions/upgrades will be completed in a few weeks, and this should give everyone a little more confidence in what we are doing. I look forward to unleashing it . To see some of the features you can take a look at my blog:
http://www.collaboradate.com/blog/index.php?mode=viewid&post_id=9
Though we are keeping some of the juicy stuff under wraps :)
By the way Dave, you absolutely have the best info, and insight to online dating anywhere, which has helped me keep up to speed. Thanks a million! Keep up the great work!
You misread how POF works, it’s more of an affiliate site, albeit a great one.
You say you are going to put Match out of business? Back up your comments if you’re going to throw down like that. You may want to reconsider that comment, Match and eHarmony and most of the top tier dating sites have some very smart people at the helm.
I give them all a lot of grief but it’s right along with the respect for running a hundred million dollar business. You might want to take that and their collective billions in overall revenue into consideration before speaking up.
Thanks Andy, lest we not forget the entrepreneurial vices of the people who have started wildly successful companies. Fill your coffers with cash and go out and market yourself well. Don’t sweat 500 features, do the 3 that are most important to your customers better than anyone else and you just may have something to show for it.