Affinitas GmbH. & Spark Networks Talks Merger Deal & Future Growth Strategy In Exclusive GDI Interview

http://globaldatinginsights.com/2017/05/09/we-speak-to-elitesingles-spark-networks-following-merger-deal/

One sentence summary: "So EliteSingles growth, especially in North America, will be a top priority."


What I had understood:

1. They will run the companies separately, as if there were no intention to merge.
2. They can not innovate in the Online Dating Industry.
3. No mention to eHarmony, biggest enemy of EliteSingles / eDarling sites.

EliteSingles / eDarling sites are only copycats of eHarmony.
A prospective client will not perceive eDarling / EliteSingles sites as better, superior or different than eHarmony's ones.

eHarmony's sites are 3 times bigger in active users and revenue than EliteSingles's sites.
And worse, Affinitas GmbH. can not beat and will never beat eHarmony Inc. in United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and United States.

There is a WAR between eHarmony Inc. and Affinitas GmbH. (EliteSingles / eDarling sites, copycats of eHarmony)

eHarmony is a 16+ years old obsolete site. The success rate of eHarmony is less than 10%.
eHarmony is only supported by a big marketing budget and not by serious scientific evidence.
The Big Five normative test used by eHarmony and its copycats, had been proven/revealed as an incomplete and incorrect model to assess/measure personality of persons.
Now it is a HOAX, a FRAUD to use it (year 2017) 
Affinitas GmbH. 2015 financials
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/affinitas-gmbh-2015-financials.html
Spark Networks (LOV) Reports First Quarter 2017 Results
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/spark-networks-lov-reports-first.html

PAPER: Personality, personnel selection, and job performance

https://repub.eur.nl/pub/99320/

Google (Alphabet Inc.) launched Google Hire, a new job application service.
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/04/google-alphabet-inc-launched-google.html


WayUp: same road as ElevatedCareers? Overpromises first?
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/04/wayup-same-road-as-elevatedcareers.html


February 2016 eHarmony launched ElevatedCareers, for match job seekers with employers but it only overpromised, delivered job matches as a machine gun shooting flowers (good for nothing, useless).
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/03/eharmony-just-closed-elevatedcareers.html
Then closed in a year.

For matching job seekers with employers, the best predictor of job performance is always: personality!!!
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2016/09/ft-articles-bank-hiring-wall-st-turns.html 

What comes after the Social Networking wave?
The Next Big Investment Opportunity on the Internet will be .... Personalization!
Personality Based Recommender Systems and Strict Personality Based Compatibility Matching Engines for serious Online Dating with the normative 16PF5 personality test.
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2013/06/the-next-wave-of-innovation.html

The Meet Group's (MEET) CEO on Q1 2017 Results

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4070878-meet-groups-meet-ceo-geoffrey-cook-q1-2017-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4070798-meet-group-inc-2017-q1-results-earnings-call-slides
http://ir.themeetgroup.com/File/Index?KeyFile=2000478249

Weak point of MeetMe as Q1 2017:
Mobile Revenue Meet Group (MEET) USD 18.8 Million is 94% of Total Revenue USD 20.1 Million
and
85 % of Total Revenue Meet Group (MEET) comes mainly from Advertisement, USD 17 Million, not Subscriptions as Match Group, or other online dating sites!

MeetMe's 2016 Q4 and FY 2016 earnings conference call.
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/03/meetmes-2016-q4-and-fy-2016-earnings.html
 
Spark Networks (LOV) Reports First Quarter 2017 Results
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/spark-networks-lov-reports-first.html

Match Group Q1 2017, Revenue flat, ARPU flat, Match in decadence
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/match-group-q1-2017-revenue-flat-arpu.html

The Match team is working on artificial intelligence (AI) and its matching algorithms (since 2011). ?
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/the-match-team-is-working-on-artificial.html

Affinitas GmbH. 2015 financials
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/affinitas-gmbh-2015-financials.html

The Match team is working on artificial intelligence (AI) and its matching algorithms (since 2011). ?

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4068615-match-groups-mtch-ceo-gregory-blatt-q1-2017-results-earnings-call-transcript


It seems they plan to resurrect: Synapse, a behavioural recommender system but ...

http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2013/05/synapse-match-algorithm.html

Personality Based Recommender Systems are the next generation of recommender systems because they perform far better than Behavioural ones (past actions and pattern of personal preferences)
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2016/08/about-social-power-of-algorithms.html
The key to long-lasting romance: COMPATIBILITY is exactly STRICT PERSONALITY SIMILARITY and not "meet other people with similar interests".

ZOOSK SmartPick (formerly known as Zoosk's Scientific Matchmaking Service (ZSMS) )
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2014/03/zoosk-smartpick-formerly-known-as.html
is only a Behavioural Recommender System like Synapse from Match or UltraMatch from PlentyOfFish (POF) and Behavioural Recommender Systems CAN NOT outperform compatibility matching engines based on personality similarity.

UltraMatch feature PlentyOfFish
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2011/08/ultra-match-feature-plentyoffish.html

Another HOAX: Dating app uses machine learning to find your most compatible partner
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/04/another-hoax-dating-app-uses-machine.html

Proof eHarmony is intoxicated with "Big Data Analysis"
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/04/proof-eharmony-is-intoxicated-with-big.html

Proof of FRAUD from eHarmony
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2015/03/proof-of-fraud-from-eharmony.html 

How AI can help you find a date ?
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/01/how-ai-can-help-you-find-date.html

Lack Of Innovation & Decadence can summarize the Online Dating Industry.
C-Level executives are more worried about their golf scores than their company’s long term strategy and innovations.
C-level executives are cooking barbecues under the water (selling smoke) and not paying attention to latest research from Academics which could be beneficial for the Online Dating Industry.

 
The Online Dating Industry does not need a 10% improvement, a 50% improvement or a 100% improvement. It does need "a 100 times better improvement"
    
Please read:  
PAPER: Tensor Methods and Recommender Systems
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2016/03/paper-tensor-methods-and-recommender.html

The 8 tips to innovate in the Online Dating Industry!
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2013/12/the-8-tips-to-innovate-in-online-dating.html

Affinitas GmbH. 2015 financials

From
https://www.bundesanzeiger.de/ebanzwww/wexsservlet
Search for Affinitas and see

Net loss not covered by equity:
As of December 31, 2015, the company is over-indebted in the amount of Euros 10.6 Million.

Revenue 2015:  Euros 60.4 Million
Marketing costs for new customer acquisition 2015: Euros 47.0 Million (78% of Revenue)
Profits 2015 : Euros 317.000

Revenue 2014:  Euros 49.7 Million
Marketing costs for new customer acquisition 2014: Euros 34.2 Million
Profits 2014 : Euros 978.000

The following measures in the financial year should be emphasized:
Feb. 2015: eDarling closed in Turkey
May 2015: Affinitas starts under the EliteSingles brand in the USA
Nov. 2015: eDarling closed in Italy and SHOPAMAN also closed.
At the end of the 2015 financial year, the platforms PrestigeSingles were closed in Germany and Austria in January 2016.


For 2016, revenue in the range of Euros 60 Million.
http://www.onlinepersonalswatch.com/news/2016/03/interview-with-affinitas-new-ceo-jeronimo-folgueira.html

For 2017, Affinitas GmbH. approached Spark Networks (LOV) for a merger
"Affinitas GmbH's revenue is USD 86 Million LTM, with USD 8 Million EBITDA." ? Unaudited.
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/affinitas-gmbhs-revenue-is-usd-86.html
Spark Networks (LOV) and EliteSingles (Affinitas GmbH.) to Merge, Creating a Global Leader in Online Dating ?
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/spark-networks-lov-and-elitesingles.html

Match Group is 10 times bigger than Spark + Affinitas merge.
eHarmony is is 2 or 3 times bigger than Spark + Affinitas merge.

eHarmony has about 750,000 paid subscribers and 10 million active users, which has been steady for the past five years.
http://www.afr.com/lifestyle/grant-langston-why-eharmonys-ceo-expects-to-win-the-online-dating-war-20170220-gugrga
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/03/eharmony-ceo-visiting-australia-summer.html

Affinitas GmbH. 2014 financials. Revenue and Net Loss? (Affinitas Phantom Share GmbH.)
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/affinitas-gmbh-2014-financials-revenue_30.html
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2014/02/more-juicy-information-from-affinitas.html


EliteSingles / eDarling sites are only copycats of eHarmony.
A prospective client will not perceive eDarling / EliteSingles sites as better, superior or different than eHarmony's ones.

eHarmony's sites are 3 times bigger in active users and revenue than EliteSingles's sites.
And worse, Affinitas GmbH. can not beat and will never beat eHarmony Inc. in United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and United States.

There is a WAR between eHarmony Inc. and Affinitas GmbH. (EliteSingles / eDarling sites, copycats of eHarmony)

eHarmony is a 16+ years old obsolete site. The success rate of eHarmony is less than 10%.
eHarmony is only supported by a big marketing budget and not by serious scientific evidence.
The Big Five normative test used by eHarmony and its copycats, had been proven/revealed as an incomplete and incorrect model to assess/measure personality of persons.
Now it is a HOAX, a FRAUD to use it (year 2017) 
EliteSingles (Affinitas GmbH.) CEO lifts the lid on executive dating
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2016/12/elitesingles-affinitas-gmbh-ceo-lifts.html

Rocket Internet SE (RCKZF) owns in part Affinitas as 2016 report 
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/04/rocket-internet-se-owns-in-part.html

Please remember:
Last May 2012, 5 long years ago, Affinitas GmbH. failed to be entirely sold to eHarmony Inc.
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/03/if-elitesingles-affinitas-gmbh-creates.html
 
Perhaps both Affinitas GmbH. and Spark Networks are 2 dead walking cats no one will innovate in the online dating industry.

article: Facebook can tell you more about a person than actually meeting them

https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/173619/facebook-can-tell-you-more-about-a-person-than-actually-meeting-them/
"When psychologists study people’s personalities, they typically judge five key traits: extroversion, openness to (new) experiences, conscientiousness, emotional stability and agreeableness. "

That is the Big Five normative test, that had been proven/revealed as an incomplete and incorrect model to assess/measure personality of persons.

Personality Based Recommender Systems are the next generation of recommender systems because they perform far better than Behavioural ones (past actions and pattern of personal preferences)
That is the only way to improve recommender systems, to include the personality traits of their users.
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/01/paper-comparative-study-of-people-to_14.html  
They need to calculate personality similarity between users but there are different formulas to calculate similarity.

In case you did not notice, recommender systems are morphing to compatibility matching engines, as the same used in the Online Dating Industry for years, with low success rates until now because they mostly use the Big Five model to assess personality and the Pearson correlation coefficient to calculate similarity.
Please remember: Personality traits are highly stable in persons over 25 years old to 45 years old.

Online Dating sites OFFERING COMPATIBILITY MATCHING METHODS BASED ON PERSONALITY SIMILARITY have very big databases, in the range of 20,000,000 (twenty million) profiles, so the Big Five model or the HEXACO model are not enough for predictive purposes. That is why I suggest the 16PF5 normative personality test instead.
The same applies for Personality Based Recommender Systems.

PAPER: Twitter User Personality Prediction 2017
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/04/paper-twitter-user-personality.html

Divorce rates published in Buenos Aires City, Argentina

50% of couples will divorce after 10 years on average.
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/2020551-que-porcentaje-de-parejas-se-divorcia-y-cuanto-suelen-durar-los-matrimonios
https://www.estadisticaciudad.gob.ar/eyc/?p=50764
https://www.estadisticaciudad.gob.ar/eyc/?p=27444
https://www.estadisticaciudad.gob.ar/eyc/?p=55849


In the paper "Perceptions of Ideal and Former Partners' Personality and Similarity" Pieternel Dijkstra / Dick P. H. Barelds / University of Groningen, The Netherlands
The authors had written
".... mismatches in personality are a frequently mentioned cause for relationship break-up. If former partners indeed have dissimilar personalities, our findings underline how difficult it is for many people to select a mate with a similar personality, or, alternatively, how little value individuals put on finding a similar partner in terms of personality.
The present study's results, as well as the results found in previous studies (e.g., Eastwick & Finkel, 2008), may be used to educate people, especially singles, about what really matters in long-term relationships, for instance, similarity in personality, instead of complementarity."
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2011/05/big-punch-to-behavioural-recommender.html
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/two-papers-debunking-behavioural.html

Please see also:
"Only the congruent survive - Personality similarities in couples. Personality and Individual Differences"
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2013/04/paper-partnership-longevity-and.html
"Partnership longevity and personality congruence in couples"
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2010/04/only-congruent-survive-personality.html

and remember: The 8 tips to innovate in the Online Dating Industry!
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2013/12/the-8-tips-to-innovate-in-online-dating.html  

Proof eHarmony is intoxicated with "Big Data Analysis"
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/04/proof-eharmony-is-intoxicated-with-big.html

NEW and FRESH Online Dating Market 2017 (via Statista)
http://onlinedatingsoundbarrier.blogspot.com.ar/2017/05/new-and-fresh-online-dating-market-2017.html