Online Personals Watch Exclusive Interview #10 - Webdate's New SVP, Joe Brennan Jr

OPW INTERVIEW -- Aug 2, 2005 -- Joe Brennan Jr joined Webdate's team in April as SVP Marketing and Strategy.  He was formerly the Director of Interactive Strategy at AOL. Mark Brooks, Editor of Online Personals Watch, interviewed Joe after the Mobile Internet Dating Convention at which Joe shared the keynote address.

Why is Webdate driving mobile/cell phone based dating?
Our strategy for Webdate is focused on wireless as a complimentary piece of our entire offerings.  Webdate is not focused on ‘online dating,’ we're focused on ‘dating.’  Our wireless services are every bit as important as the internet services and are totally integrated.  So the philosophy is 'Webdate anytime, anywhere.'  Users may come through the online channel but then decide it's more convenient for them to use us through wireless.  We're connection channel agnostic.  We believe our members should be able to use our services through any connection, so they can Webdate, anytime, anywhere. 

Are location-based services the future?
I think so.  But, one of the challenges is that the technology is available right now but the carriers are concerned about the liability of offering location-based services to their members.  We have to show that such services can produce good revenue streams, address the liability concerns, and demonstrate to the wireless carriers why this technology really is necessary in serving their wireless customers in the future.  The market and technology are moving in the direction of location-based services.  I would not bet against it right now. 

Why are you also leading with video based services? 
We’ve placed our bets on using technology that creates more intimacy for our members.  I mean, with most online dating services you make this hard leap from profile, email and instant messenger over to face-to-face meetings.  We want to create more interactivity and give users a better opportunity to learn and get to know dating partners through the online medium before they meet.  We’re creating interactive experiences that allow potential daters to get to know each other better so that when that first meeting happens, it isn't a shock.  So, the best way to do this is to approximate some of the real world dating experience.  We've started down that path with video dating.  We call it ‘webdating.’  I think that by fully integrating both the online and wireless products we're able to drive a better user experience whilst also reaching underserved markets.  Certain demographics index low on PC ownership and high on cell phone ownership.  By using wireless technology and combining this with our efforts to improve the dating experience, we think our service will be much more valuable than services merely listing personals ads and allowing email introductions. 

Will you eventually combine video based webdating into a mobile/cell phone based service?
Right now the bandwidth is not available on the mobile networks.  The handset technology is not quite available either.  But it will be.  If we look at South Korea with their live streaming video broadcasts we can see the shape of things to come.  That technology will come to America along with the ability to do video dating on the phone.  It’s inevitable and something we are pursuing. 

We need to create more dating opportunities for our users and we have chosen to use technology to create those opportunities…in a real world, live way.  Picture if you will…you’re headed out for the evening and you’re able to broadcast that you are going to be at a certain club, in a certain area and are interested in meeting singles who are also interested in meeting other singles.  We can use the mobile application as a way of facilitating this.  When you walk through the door of the club you will know who you can socialize with and who is available, rather than it being a guessing game.  You can know who's looking for new friends, who’s looking for a relationship.  We want to use mobile applications to facilitate meetings in real time and real space but we need the cooperation of the carriers to facilitate that. 

Comments

[James Houran]

Another nice and informative interview, Mark!

I wonder, though, if trying to completely replicate the feel of offline interaction is what all customers want. Certainly, the serious daters are looking for tools and services that empower them in searching capibilities as well as provide them the potential for closer intimacy and interaction on the web.

By contrast, research shows that some online daters want "fantasy" not reality. That is, the last thing they may want is to actually meet someone offline and develop a real relationship. I wonder what Joe would say regarding this fantasy-aspect to some online dating customers. Would he see Webdate's approach as complementary to it or not?

Thanks,

James Houran, Ph.D.
Chief Psychologist, TRUE.com

[Fernando Ardenghi]

This CEO said "Certain demographics index low on PC ownership and high on cell phone ownership".
Yes, but with the amount of money they will spend using their cell phones in mobile-dating-services they could buy a PC!!

He also ended the interview saying: "We want to use mobile applications to facilitate meetings in real time and real space but we need the cooperation of the carriers to facilitate that"
Note that a dating-company that offers mobile services could charge a small fee (USD10 per month?) to their members, but the wireless carriers need to charge more (perhaps USD100 fixed-rate-plan per month? /// USD1200 a year == a cheap PC). And the mobile-dating-market is small-size-in-revenue as it only complements but not replace actual On line Dating / Social Networking Internet sites.

"the cooperation of the carriers to facilitate that". It is not a problem of cooperation, just only to see if mobile-dating-services will be a great-business for the wireless carriers or not.

Mobile / wireless services will be more adequate for teens (11-25 years) used to have a "lot of friends"
and
not for more mature persons (26-???), who will require quality in on line dating techniques.

And what will happen if this small-size-in-revenue mobile-dating-market receives Legislation?

My advice is: By yourself a good PC to every day use, and buy a cheap cell phone like the Alcatel 332 to speak by phone and SMS.

Kindest Regards,

Fernando Ardenghi.
Buenos Aires.
Argentina.
[email protected]

[Joe Brennan Jr.]

Those who underestimate the potential market for technology are placing a bad bet. Those who presume to know "what's best" for daters and try to funnel users through a particular interactive experience will also likely regret not broadening their offering to potential users.

There is no "best path" for users. The key to good user experience and satisfaction will be to allow individual users to determine what "path" best suits them, and to offer technology that facilitates that chosen path.

[Christian Vollmann]

I disagree with Mr. Ardenghi over the point of the cost of mobile dating.

Take the new iLove Mobile Dating Application for example. It is a Java application that you download to your phone once. The download costs you less than 2 EUR (2.5 USD) in data traffic cost.

You then pay 4.99 EUR per week for using the iLove service. This includes access to the online service.

On top of that, you pay GPRS data transfer cost. In Germany, some network operators already offer a flat fee for mobile data traffic for as little as 5 EUR/month.

Alltogether, mobile dating with the iLove "Handyflirt" application will cost you only slightly more than using the web interface.

Best regards,

Christian Vollmann
Managing Director iLove.de

[Michele Huet]

Great interview Mark, heres my 2c worth:

Mobile content is very different from online content in that it has its own inbuilt ability to bill. This also favors micropayments (SMS=50c or Video Calling costs $1.50 per min) which is easy to explain and transparent to prospective users.

We've seen with the success of PlentyofFish that online dating can be done successfully without cost but any one who has tried it knows its a source of spamsters as well as low quality partner opportunities (that said many of the members are genuine, real, nice people - and some have lots of money but just don't want to pay for something when they don't have to!)

As the computer that is always with you the mobile phone presents many new challenges for dating. Too much communication can be very disruptive and a big drawback to adoption. By making it free to communicate you encourage users to "play the numbers game" and introduce themselves to lots of people (even if they have little genuine interest). the presence of a 50c tarriff can eliminate this and the collective revenues can remove the need for a discouraging subscription.

Mobile Dating must be PrePay (Pay-As-You-Go friendly and micropayments will naturally drive quality communication.