"This is a slightly unusual venture for us in that a dating service is not normally associated with our brand, which is known for its in-depth, quality content, but recent overseas trends have shown huge growth in the online dating arena and enormous revenue potential," said Matthew Buckland, Editor of the Mail&Guardian Online website.
Officially launched on Thursday, 09 January 2003, after an initial trial run, users will be able to log on to the Mail&Guardian Online's dating service and create profiles of themselves with the hope of meeting their ideal match. Profile listing and searching is free and an optional nominal fee is charged to contact other members.
"It was recently shown in a report by the respected US-based Online Publishers Association (OPA) that internet personals and dating, together with business content and entertainment, accounted for 59% of all online consumer spending in the US for 2001," said Buckland.
DatingBuzz, a world-class service with an impressive range of features, makes finding the ideal partner quick and easy in a completely safe, private and initially anonymous environment.
Says DatingBuzz's David Burstein:" We've seen a huge rise in the number of people using our online dating services as people's perceptions have shifted from seeing 'dating agencies' as only being for the desperate. Internet dating is a great way to look for friends and partners without the angst and hassles with trying to meet people at pubs and clubs or having friends and family setting one up with your worst nightmare."
In addition to simple searching for matches, DatingBuzz users can access a sophisticated two-way matching service which compares the user's profile and desired match criteria with all matching profiles and then compares his or her profile with the match profile's desires to find a two percentage match.
The DatingBuzz service includes tailored features for South African users, with local subscription fees in rands at an affordable rate compared to most overseas based operations that bill in US dollars.
Check out the Mail and Guardian's Online DatingBuzz at mg.datingbuzz.com.
Read the OPA report at www.online-publishers.org.
