Meetic Founder-Chairman, Marc Simoncini – OPW Interview
OPW MEETING — – Meetic may be the next prominent web matchmaking business around, next to IAC’s fit. Listed here is my personal earliest interview utilizing the president. – Mark Brooks
Just how 
do you begin with Meetic? What is the founding story? We developed a webpage in European countries also known as iFrance in ’97 that has been ended up selling to Vivendi common in 2000 for $200 million dollars. Then I struggled to obtain Vivendi for eighteen months. I looked for brand new tactics and wished to start a membership established company. We spent considerable time evaluating lots of company brands and also the online dating business was actually the very best people in my situation. Firstly, given that it had been registration oriented and secondly, there are no significant opponents in Europe. So I launched Meetic in July ’02.
The reason why did you follow-up utilizing the establish of Ulteem? Just how is-it much better than Parship? Ulteem was released within its final version this summer, three months back. We desired to build a brand new variety of item and decided to evaluate eHarmony or Parship. Ulteem is more latest. For one thing we’re supplying video on Ulteem. Customers can register a three component video visibility and is really important knowing visitors much better. Another crucial differences is the fact that we do not must invest greatly in advertising and marketing across European countries as Meetic has already been founded in 13 countries in European countries and in accordance with comscore we have 8 many UV, we have in addition 90 distribution couples including Yahoo in France, Italy and The country of spain, Wanadoo in France and The country of spain, Libero in Italy or AOL in Germany. Very, to introduce Ulteem, we just must advertise from the Meetic content, and ask all of our couples to put it on the portals. This is why after month or two of task in France, Ulteem is already larger than fit and Parship! That’s just how Ulteem is continuing to grow quite quickly.
Speaking about Parship, they merely really is out there in Germany. They state they usually have 1.x million customers but we approximate just one next of the customers is outside of Germany. Thus for the time being do not discover any major competitors for Ulteem in the European amount. In Germany, needless to say it is more complicated for all of us as a result of Parship, but beyond Germany, Ulteem are probably the respected partnership site using the Meetic market and 90 couples interact in Europe.
How can the rates of Parship compare with Ulteem? It really is near. The primary huge difference usually on Ulteem you’ll begin get in touch with 100% free. If you would like browse the information you have to become a VIP user, a Premium consumer. To send communications free-of-charge however if you intend to review a message or, without a doubt, to respond to you have to subscribe. That is the difference between name of model in phrase of pricing, it is near.And you’ve got a social network solution furthermore? Meetic features three brand names. The initial you’re Meetic, without a doubt, the 2nd one is Ulteem and next you’re Superlov. We launched they in France within the first variation at the beginning of the year, and this will getting established within its last variation fleetingly all over European countries. The product is dependent on cellular profits, and you will utilize it both by internet and by cellular. We 19 partnerships with mobile carriers in European countries, you can access Meetic also through cellular companies everywhere European countries. It grabbed us three-years to be able to sign these 19 discounts.
No advertising, no fluff, just raw development summaries, recognized ranks and chief executive officer interview
How can you view fit’s recent statement that they’re spending 4 millions Euros to enter the business? Meetic was principal in Europe according Nielsen or Comscore. Meetic is no. 1 in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Netherlands. A large section of Match’s traffic is inspired by MSN. Thus, in reality, the Match brand name doesn’t really exists, 32per cent of French everyone learn Meetic and only 3per cent know fit, according IFOP. The pride of Meetic are, complement was actually 26 period larger than Meetic in 03, which 12 months fit around the world is just three times bigger than Meetic. But fit is actually globally and Meetic continues to be merely in European countries. So now Meetic has become the second biggest casual dating internet site worldwide in terms of revenues. Meetic is problems for fit because we are expanding rapidly.