Love Out Loud Asia Targets Offline Success
A new app that borrows forward-thinking dating features and packages them for the Asian market has been launched.
Love Out Loud Asia, or LOLA, works by users logging into their Facebook account and posting a date idea.
The system then sends you a list of matches at noon, and you choose whether you want to progress.
These matches are based on an algorithm, but also take into account other factors such as image recognition.
It is based on 30% date idea, 30% Facebook and profile information, 20% image recognition technology and 20% usage history.
Co-founder Wong Say Jon says the app’s aim is to get users spending more time offline, instead of on.
He said: “We aim to bridge the gap between the time or users spend chatting online and meeting up to go on that awesome date.
“On average, our users get one mutual like for every four matches they respond to.
“Love Out Loud Asia is built for the modern & more discerning user who will appreciate the finer details that sets us apart from archaic dating or flirting/casual encounters sites.”
One such feature is the image recognition technology, which has been produced in collaboration with the National University of Singapore School of Computing.
Jon says those with similar facial features have a higher compatibility, as apparently you are more attracted to people who look like you.
The app recently moved from web to mobile, rebranding from LessWorkMoreLove.com to Love Out Loud Asia.
They have also introduced a HowAboutWe-inspired “datebook”, which also aims to keep couples involved in the service by handpicking dates and offers.
The app has 5,200 users between the ages of 21-28, 75% of whom have a bachelors degree.
These users have an average 38% daily active user rate, 20% mutual likes and over 1,000 couples have been created since launch.
Jon told Yahoo that they are targeting Southeast Asia’s online dating and e-commerce markets.
The dating market in that region is worth around $27.9m, and estimated to be worth $2.7bn by 2016.
Jon said he wants the cross-market strategy to allow users to buy things such as movie tickets and dining vouchers through the app.