Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Market value to grow as apps monetise
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- Figure 1: Value forecast for UK online dating market, 2009-19
- Market drivers
- Online Dating Association launched
- Number of single people on the rise
- Amount of online abuse directed towards women could be damaging
- Nearly all young people use the internet ‘on the go’ and for socialising
- Companies, brands and innovations
- Market share
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- Figure 2: Unique visits to online dating websites, via computers, August-October 2014
- Who’s innovating?
- Users to be given grades
- Video-only dating website launched
- MySingleFriend launches MySingleTent for festival-goers
- Sites get straight to the date
- Antidate makes only men visible
- The consumer
- Over a quarter meet dates through online dating
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- Figure 3: Method of meeting partner/date, November 2014
- Match.com most well-known site/app
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- Figure 4: Usage and awareness of dating websites/apps, November 2014
- Some consider online dating unsafe and expensive
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- Figure 5: Words and phrases associated with online dating, November 2014
- Majority of users willing to meet someone from a site/app
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- Figure 6: Attitudes towards online dating, November 2014
- Friends’ usage most encouraging factor
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- Figure 7: Reasons for using site/app, November 2014
- Many concerned about misleading profiles
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- Figure 8: Reasons for not using a dating website/app, November 2014
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Will free dating apps be able to successfully monetise?
- The facts
- The implications
- Could online abuse hurt the industry?
- The facts
- The implications
- How to prevent the problem of misleading profiles?
- The facts
- The implications
Trend Application
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- Trend: Guiding Choice
- Trend: Extend my Brand
- Mintel Futures: Human
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Income squeeze reduces
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- Figure 9: Income squeeze, January 2009-September 2014
- Number of single people on the rise
- Vast majority of 16-24s use social networking
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- Figure 10: Internet activities in the last three months, by age, August 2014
- Young people access internet ‘on the go’
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- Figure 11: Accessing the internet ‘on the go’ in the last three months by portable device types, by age, August 2014
- Online Dating Association launched
- Safety concerns key
- Sites ‘experimenting’ on their users
- Amount of online abuse directed towards women could be damaging
- World Cup boosts Tinder usage
Who's Innovating?
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- Key points
- Users to be given grades
- Male users asked to sign ‘Gentlemen Pledge’
- Video-only dating website launched
- Sites get straight to the date
- The League is an invite-only app
- Bumble puts girls in charge
- Antidate makes only men visible
- MySingleFriend launches MySingleTent for festival-goers
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Market value to grow as apps monetise
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- Figure 12: Value of the UK online dating market, 2009-19
- Forecast
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- Figure 13: Value forecast for UK online dating market, 2009-19
- Forecast methodology
Market Share
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- Key points
- Plenty of Fish biggest site in terms of computer hits
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- Figure 14: Visits to online dating websites via computers, August-October 2014
Companies and Products
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- eHarmony
- Grindr
- Guardian Soulmates
- Match.com
- OkCupid
- Plentyoffish.com
- Tinder
- Zoosk.com
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Almost half of UK ad expenditure by match.com
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- Figure 15: Top 10 dating website/apps UK advertising expenditure, 2011-14
- Zoosk.com dominates on Twitter
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- Figure 16: Twitter followers for select leading online dating websites/apps, December 2014
The Consumer – Methods of Meeting Partners
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- Key points
- Over a quarter meet dates through online dating
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- Figure 17: Method of meeting partner/date, November 2014
- 18-24s much prefer free online dating services
The Consumer – Usage of Dating Websites
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- Key points
- Match.com most well-known site/app
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- Figure 18: Usage and awareness of dating websites/apps, November 2014
- Tinder draws in Millennials
The Consumer – Perceptions of Online Dating
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- Key points
- Some consider online dating unsafe and expensive
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- Figure 19: Words and phrases associated with online dating, November 2014
- People don’t feel online dating is trustworthy
- Over a fifth of over-55s think it’s not for their age group
The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Online Dating
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- Key points
- Majority of users willing to meet someone from a site/app
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- Figure 20: Attitudes towards online dating, November 2014
- A quarter willing to pay more for additional features
- Most have found that people misrepresent themselves
- Women can feel unsafe when meeting up
The Consumer – Reasons for Using
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- Key points
- Friends’ usage most encouraging factor
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- Figure 21: Reason for using site/app, November 2014
- Adverts encourage paid dating website usage
The Consumer – Reasons for Not Using
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- Key points
- Many concerned about misleading profiles
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- Figure 22: Reasons for not using a dating website/app, November 2014
- People are concerned about scams
- 18-24s more likely to think it is not romantic
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