technology

Dating Site Zoosk Enables Users To Trust, But Verify

By now, most Internet users are well aware that one can’t always trust what’s presented. In the world of online dating, however, Zoosk is hoping to at least ensure that users get what they see. 

The company, which last year rolled out a marketing campaign stressing compatibility over lightning strikes as the key to lasting romance, is continuing its efforts to give users confidence with a new “photo verification” feature. The feature enables users to submit videos of themselves certifying their profile photos are accurate representations of what they look like in real life. 

“The message from our last campaign was successful in differentiating us from other sites,” Katherine Knight, brand manager for Zoosk, tells Marketing Daily. “For our new campaign, we wanted to build on that and take it to the next level.”

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The photo verification feature will be highlighted in new commercials in the brand’s “First Comes Like” advertising campaign. The effort, launched last year, continues to focus on the idea that a lasting relationship requires time and that “love at first sight” is rare. A 30-second spot, for instance, shows a woman identifying her date via Zoosk’s mobile site, while a voiceover explains: “Love does not come first. Before you get caught in the rain, before you get butterflies, before you see fireworks … first comes like.” A 15-second spot hits harder on the photo verification feature, as a man tries to identify his date in a crowded coffee shop using the app. 

“Everybody wants love to be a big, huge fairy tale. But the reality is, before all that can happen, you have to fall in like first,” says Tony Zimney, creative director at agency Muh-tay-zik Hof-fer (which created the campaign). “Each one of our spots highlights this moment of like.”

The commercials will begin airing nationally in the beginning of July. The brand is widening its ad buy and focusing on the shorter spots to reach more people, Knight says. “By focusing more on television, we’re able to spread out across the U.S. and get  bigger, broader audience.”

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