Match.com RebrandingStrategy

HypotheticalCase Study

M.H. © 2019Ctrl+click for references

Staying Relevant

● Launched in 1995 as the first online dating site

● Number of paid users (2021): 15 million

● Demographics (2019)

31% Millennials (ages 24-38) 5% Generation Z (18-24) ? <4% (2021)36% Gen X (ages 39-53)28% Boomers (ages 54-74)

● Rated as one of the best sites for marriages

● The 50+ age group is fastest growing demographic

*Source: Dec, 2016

The Match Group

Owns Tinder, POF, OkCupid, Match, Black People Meet, HowAboutWe, Hinge

4 out of top 5, for a total market share of 64%*

Stand-out features1. Chat only if both match2. FREE (limited features)3. Minimalistic design4. Location based

Opportunity window

Avg. marrying age: Women 29, Men 31

Increase penetration

*Source: Dec, 2016

Positioning and Value Proposition

● Match.com brand: Positioned as one of best apps to find a marrying partner

● Value proposition: long-term relationships that lead to marriage

● Despite market dominance, increasing the younger market (<29 yrs) would foster future user growth and revenue

● How do we increase these chances? Grow user engagement >> Improve UX to increase brand exposure

Increase frequency: session interval and lengthOther metrics: Active daily users (50.5%)*, time in app

*Source: Dec, 2016

Target Demographics

Persona #2: Millennials

● Demographics: 24-38 yrsMarrying age (29-31)High disposable income

● Behaviors: Stabilizing careerLess time, social media

● Goals: Seeking commitmentStart a family

Persona #1: Generation Z

● Demographics: 18-24 yrsCollege yearsLow disposable income

● Behaviors: Entering workforceMore time, social media, video

● Goals: Seeking explorationMeeting new people

User story #2: As a busy professional, I want to find a partner so that I can settle and start a family

User story #1: As a young adult starting my career, I want to socialize with and possibly date around my area

UX Review

● Traffic: 80% mobile, 20% desktop

● Unused tabs: Likes and Inbox - Serve as ads, but provide no value to new, unpaid users

● Make paid version benefits more concrete

● No messaging: Literally useless if not paid

Simplified Tab Design

● Designed for our two target demographics

● Chat tab emphasized with size

● Goal: Transition Match (free) to Pro (paid)

UX Redesign

TeamsDesign: Critique, optimize, user research and testingEngineering & QA: Develop and testAnalytics & Ops: Metrics- session interval and length, active users, time spentPM: Define KPIs, experimental design, product roadmap

Explore

● Designed for Generation Z ● Location specific● Direct chat: 3 messages per day

TeamsDesign: User testing, UX optimizationEngineering & QA: Develop and testPM: a/b test, analyze results, report

Chat

● Limited: 3 messages per day● Increases interaction frequency● Block enabled to avoid spam

Micro-messaging

TeamsDesign: User testing, UX optimizationAnalytics: messages sent, replies receivedEngineering & QA: Develop and testPM: a/b test, analyze results, report

Match

● Unlimited messages● Mutual interests and likes● Live call and video

TeamsDesign: User testing, UX optimizationEngineering & QA: Develop and testData Science: Data cleaning & modeling, ML recommendationsPM: a/b test, data request+analysis, report

Rebranding

Age is just a number

TeamsMarketing: Copy, media buyersAnalytics: Metrics: # of apps downloaded, time spent, churn rate: app uninstalls, membership cancellationsPM: a/b test, analyze results, iterate. Long term KPIs: retention rate (30 days), conversion rate to PRO, avg. revenue/user, lifetime value

Best ROI

● Phase 1: Micro-messaging● Phase 2: Simplify tab design

Future Projects

● Phase 3: Match- Interests● Phase 4: Voice chat

Schedule

Time frame

● 2 weeks each phase

● Weekly meetings for progress updates

● Analyze metrics each week

● Compile reports for each phase to management

Priorities

Workflow