71-year-old multimillionaire Martha Stewart’s very public foray into online dating drove up Match.com’s consumer Recommend scores for the first half of May, but strangely not with her own age group. Scores for 18 – 34 year olds made a significant leap over that time while the 50+ demographic saw Recommend scores fall.
On April 26th, Stewart announced on the Today show that she was putting her profile on Match.com in her search for Mr. Right. Her Match.com profile said she was seeking men age 55 to 70. On May 9th, two of Martha’s suitors, both 68-years-old, appeared with her on the Today show to discuss their correspondence.
Yet, it appears the supposed publicity stunt didn’t move Match.com’s Recommend meter for boomers. Their numbers dropped during Martha’s media circuit. The 35 - 40 demo’s numbers grew modestly, but the 18 – 34 group rocketed to levels last reached back in February, the month of Valentine’s Day and in-store mixer promotions with Banana Republic, when the company reported a 20% uptick in new members.
During 2013 Recommend scores for the 50+ demographic have not moved dramatically and are generally lagging the other two younger age groups - which may have prompted Martha Stewart’s Match.com profile.
For all three age demographics, Match.com normally has more of a negative perception than positive. However, the recent promotions and PR events in February and early May seem to have helped the online dating site with every age group except boomers.
Match.com was measured with YouGov BrandIndex’s Recommend score, which asks respondents: "Would you recommend the brand to a friend?" Results were broken down into three adult age groups: 18 – 34, 35 – 59 and 50+.
Recommend Scores: Match.com
