A compiled list recognising the most innovative and fastest growing companies in the European Digital Media Economy, the Media Momentum Top 50 is organised by investment bank GP Bullhound. Global Personals Ltd was one of ten finalists for the Media Momentum Awards, the shortlist chosen by an esteemed panel of 27 judges from Europe’s booming digital media.

Ross comments:

It’s a great achievement to make the European Media Momentum Top 50 for the second year running. We are now the fastest growing online dating company in EMEA and have lots of exciting developments that we are currently working on. I would like to thank our ever-growing team for their passion and hard work.

Congrats everybody! To read our announcement in full, please check out our press release.

I’m going to use one of my favourite campaigns as an example – our testimonials! As an online dating company, there really is no better reward than hearing that you’ve helped two people find what they are looking for. So how do we find our success stories? Well, this part is really more of a company effort than a team effort. When a member contacts our Support or Retention Team to cancel because they’ve met someone special, we ask them if they’d like to share their story with us. Our Content and Copywriting Co-ordinator Amy then takes their story plus photo, sending a John Lewis voucher as a thank you. Amy puts all of the testimonials into a document which we then use to select the happy couples we’d like to feature in our email. We’ve also found that a lot of members use their diary entries to share their good news so we check there too.

Onto the next step! It’s time for us to create our member send list. Our in-house newsletter tool, built by the Globaldev team, allows us to be really specific with our send lists. For example- if we really wanted to, we could create a list to send only to brunette females who are non-smokers and have 2 or more children. Luckily in this case, it’s a lot simpler than that. We want to share this news with everyone! So for this campaign, we have selected the entire UK Mature Network – that’s close to 400 sites! While we’re busy doing this, our Digital Communications Designer Andy gets to work on creating the template for our stories to sit in.

Now for the final pieces of the testimonial build. The photos of the happy couples are slotted into place alongside their individual success stories.

The email is then sent round the team in ‘test’ form to be checked for any errors. Once any adjustments have been made and the team are happy that the email is good and ready to go – we hit send!

Having been a part of the Comms Team for over a year now, and experiencing first-hand how much work goes into building an email, it’s definitely made me more appreciative of what arrives in my inbox. So next time you receive an email, take the time to look over it properly – someone somewhere has put a lot of time into that!

What do you do?

I am a front end UX developer specialising in JavaScript.

How long have you been with the company?

I have been here 2 months now.

What did you want to be growing up?

I wanted to be a fighter jet pilot. Somewhere along the line, computers took over. I would still like to learn to fly a helicopter though.

How would your work mates describe you in 3 words?

Loud, funny, controversial.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?

I have always wanted to fly like Superman or Neo in the Matrix and still dream that I can sometimes.

Biggest inspiration? (Excluding family).

This is a tough one. I recently read the autobiography of Ian Denys Peek, a Japanese POW who worked on the Thailand – Burma railway in WWII. He survived brutal conditions by believing in himself and never giving up. Massively inspirational.

Marmite. Love or hate?

Hate!

What are your 3 favourite websites and why? (Excluding ours!)

1. News.bbc.co.uk – as well as a source of information, the BBC websites are always put together brilliantly and are a great example to UX developers like myself.
2. Wikipedia.org – I simply can’t imagine my life without this site, I am constantly looking things up and learning odd bits of information.
3. Facebook.com/cureforcarys – I love the way I can share information about my daughter’s condition and keep everyone up to date. The new timeline view has been controversial but I love the new look and feel.

A secret or fact that nobody at work knows?

I am learning guitar and hope to do a gig one day!

What could you not live without at work (excluding your computer)?

Coffee. I simply cannot function without 4 cups a day. The free fresh coffee at Global Personals is a major bonus for me!

Global Personals Ltd will now be offering free and freemium white label products to its award-winning subscription platform, WhiteLabelDating.com. As well as Smooch.com and the WooWise white label system, the acquisition includes Mancentral.com, which will help Global Personals grow its gay dating division through own-brand and partner sites. Martin Bysh and Marcus Hamilton will remain as advisors to the business, retaining the award-winning team behind their white label business and Smooch.com. They will be working closely with Global Personals Ltd to grow the division internationally.

Ross Williams, CEO of Global Personals said:

“The two biggest disrupters of the last decade in the online dating industry have been white label platforms and free dating. With both of these in place, Global Personals Ltd is now positioned to dominate this exciting, profitable and ever-growing industry. The team is really impressed by the WooWise freemium white label system, which will allow our partners to grow into this popular dating space, currently dominated by Badoo and Plenty Of Fish. The deal will help our partners monetise members who may not wish to pay on a traditional subscription-based dating site. We’ve always had huge respect for Martin and the team behind Smooch – it’s been one of the top sites in the UK for years and has a growing international presence.”

Martin Bysh, CEO of WooWise, adds:

“Having previously worked with the company as a WhiteLabelDating.com partner, I have nothing but respect for the team and their business acumen. We had some very strong offers on the table from leading global players in the market, but chose Global Personals Ltd for their honesty and decency, which was confirmed during this process. The company seems to be soaking up the best talent from the dating, digital and media industries and will be able to grow Smooch and our white label services to a worldwide audience.”

To read the press release in full, please click here.

Here’s a selection of some of the most recent testimonials we’ve received from those members who have found their happily ever after.

Mature Free and Single

Me and my fiancé Martin (yep we’re now engaged!) are writing to you because online dating really does work!

I first winked at Martin on 25th June 2011 and we had our first date two weeks later on Friday 8th July. Martin said he didn’t usually reply to winks but when he saw my profile and photo he couldn’t resist (aww!). From then on, we spent every weekend together and gradually realised we’d hit the jackpot and fell in love. We started talking about getting engaged but thought it was too, so we decided to wait until June 2012. By September we were both positive we had something amazing and changed our plans – we bought the ring but waited until Christmas day to get engaged – it was so special and Martin almost cried. We now have the Wedding booked for 21st March 2014 and I just can’t wait! If someone had told us this time last year that we would find our perfect partner online and be engaged and planning my dream wedding, I think we would have both been a little sceptical – but it has happened and we are both over the moon. We can’t thank you and your team enough – we now have an amazing life together to look forward to. It’s a dream that absolutely came true!!

Online dating really does work! Jan and Martin xx

Hallam FM Dating

My reasoning for joining Hallam was very similar to my girlfriend’s (quite ironic really!!), could not meet anyone, work commitment and the main one really confidence. It was me really who made the first contact by sending a WINK!!…she replied and we sent a couple of emails, asking how each other were. For some reason we went quiet on each other, but later we both found out whilst talking we were still looking at each other’s profiles in the quiet period, so there must have been an attraction on both sides. Luckily a couple of weeks later, when began emailing again and i was the one who ask her out …we decided to go bowling and have a meal, it may sound different, but believe me bowling is a good icebreaker!! To say the date went well… its 13 months later, we’re both still very happy and looking to move in together. We would like to thank Hallam FM Dating, for being a stepping stone in our relationship and have recommended to others.

Could not be happier
Many Thanks, Mike and Patsy-Anne x

Singles Over 60

Thank you for your email and I enclose a photograph taken yesterday in Patrick’s conservatory before we went out for Sunday lunch. I first got in touch with Patrick on 24th March; he booked a Sunday lunch at a restaurant and spent the rest of the day at Little Studley Park, a National Trust beauty spot with lakes and fallow deer. We both knew we wanted to see each other again. Since then we have seen each other five times a week, we text every day and we’ve met one another’s families. I already had two holidays planned this year before I met Pat, but we intend to spend at least one holiday together in the middle of my two. My life has really taken off since I’ve known Pat. He is a fabulous man, a family man and a fun man, so thank you Singles Over 60 for introducing me to him. We have spent three separate days out with his brother and sister-in-law, what a lovely family, and as I haven’t got any family (except my Mum) I have been welcomed into Pat’s.

I’m thoroughly enjoying my life again now that Pat is a part of it and it is all due to Singles Over 60.
Elaine.

Smooth Radio Dating

We first met in January and haven’t looked back. We are very much in love and planning on moving in together next month. Thank you bringing us together! Olivia.

Whether it’s finding their first love, finding love just around the corner, or finding love again, it’s always great to hear that we’re bringing people together and making their lives colourful. We’d like to say big congratulations to each couple and a massive thank you for sharing their success with us. Here’s to their bright future!

This includes tools such as Google Maps, Google Analytics, social sharing buttons and many more! How does this law affect your online dating sites on the WhiteLabelDating.com platform?

What are cookies?

They are text files that are placed on user computers to remember choices as you navigate round the site, to remember user preferences, to track site performance and to target advertising.

What is the relevant law?

‘The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive)(Amendment) Regulations 2011’ has been commonly referred to for at least the last 12 months as the ‘Cookie Law’.

What does it do?

In summary, it means that all website operators are now required to ask a website user’s permission when placing certain types of cookies on their devices. They must also explain what they are and why they are placed there.

When did it become law?

It became law on 26 May 2011 and assumed that browser technology could be used to manage cookie permissions. This was not the case, so the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) declared a moratorium on enforcing the law until 26 May 2012 by when browser developments would have caught up. Again, this has not proved to be the case, which has left all website operators with the task of implementing measures to comply. With no practical guidance being issued by the ICO on how to do this, we are taking our lead from the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce).

What have we done already?

We already comply with part of the law in that the Privacy Policy on the sites explains the different types of cookies we use and how we use them. There are four categories of cookies summarised as; strictly necessary, performance, functionality and targeting. We currently place cookies on our sites for the first three but may be using the last category soon. Users have to give permissions to allow categories two to four.

What else do we need to do?

The ICC have interpreted the law to mean that we can gather consent for category one to three cookies by agreement to terms and conditions or privacy policy. Category four, which is what the law was specifically targeted for, requires explicit consent but we currently don’t place these types of cookies on users’ computers.

So are we covered?

Not yet, we need to make a minor change our Privacy Policy to make it clear that agreeing to our terms and conditions also means you give consent for the allowed category cookies to be used. However, this will happen and be in place before the moratorium is lifted on the 26th May 2012.

Will this situation change?

Cookie management in browser technology is not currently being developed by the major players, so help is not forthcoming there. We may change the operation of our sites so that we do need to drop targeting cookies, at which point we will have to introduce the collection of explicit consent.

What do our partners need to do?

Nothing, that’s what WhiteLabelDating.com provides. If you have any questions, do get in touch with your Partner Manager who will do their best to assist.

The show was very internet / tech industry heavy, so consumer facing brands (such as the ones we operate in the B2C team), were actually very few and far between. As a result, going there to find potential traffic sources was not necessarily the ideal place. However, the number of people interested in what we do was impressive.

There were definitely some strong leads for new prospective partners, either as entrepreneurs who want to try and make some money for themselves, or those with existing audiences that could easily monetise further through the use of a dating proposition on the side of their existing main revenue stream.

It was also interesting to be able to explain to people just how big the dating industry is, and how Global Personals makes up a very large part of that industry. That said, it’s amazing how many people thought we were actually trying to get them to sign up to a dating site as a member!

As a team, we will now look to contact the various possible partners that could work with us in a traffic driving capacity. With exciting developments for B2C in terms of product offerings, and new software and tools to better work with affiliate partners, there is a lot going on.

Oh, and if you are ever in need of a new payment partner for your eCommerce site, go to Internet World, there were loads!

WHAT DO YOU DO?

I am a Customer Care Moderator.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE COMPANY?

For five months now.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE GROWING UP?

I wanted to be a lawyer when I was growing up as I loved the show ‘Ally Mcbeal’ and wanted to be like her! Haha!

HOW WOULD YOUR WORK MATES DESCRIBE YOU IN 3 WORDS?

Considerate, laid-back, approachable.

IF YOU COULD HAVE A SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

If I had a super power it would be the power of invisibility, so I could spy on people and find out the gossip without people knowing that I’m there!

BIGGEST INSPIRATION? (EXCLUDING FAMILY)

As a Catholic, Mother Teresa has been an inspiration to me because of her humanitarian work and for helping the poorest people. She was a strong and compassionate woman.

MARMITE. LOVE OR HATE?

Hate, Hate Hate!!!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE 3 WEBSITES AND WHY?

1. Sky Showbiz – need my daily celeb gossip
2. Lipsy – I love to shop!
3. Buzz Asia Radio Online – love my online asian radio station

A SECRET OR FACT THAT NOBODY AT WORK KNOWS?

Hmm… a secret that nobody knows about me here is that I have some kind of OCD when it comes to cutlery, plates, glasses… When I go out to eat at restaurants, I have to check everything to make sure the cutlery etc is all clean and check my friends and family’s too which they find embarrassing! Rather be safe than sorry though, haha!

WHAT COULD YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT AT WORK (EXCLUDING YOUR COMPUTER)?

I could not live without my cushion! I love it!!

This was 1) – the speed that our members needed their details approved, 2) – global growth. The day and time in Windsor isn’t always the same as our members…

Turning around members details quickly addresses two issues. Members want to maximise their impact in the dating world and to do that well, need pictures, a good profile and good messages. Once members have dipped their toe they want to be seen and heard, so getting their details approved quickly is important to them and the whole user experience.

The second reason we monitor and process details quickly addresses the difficult subject of ‘scammers’. The internet (although not unique to this one area) has bred a certain kind of fraudster, commonly called a scammer. Our team of moderators have a sharp set of talents in identifying them. I tell people that moderation isn’t just a skill but it’s an art. One look over the shoulder of a moderator at speed demonstrates what a difficult and crucial role this team perform, one that our reputation stands on. And how much work is there to do? We currently moderate around twenty five thousand new pictures and profiles a day, depending on the day of the week, and this volume is constantly growing.

Currently there are four teams- two teams who alternate rotas on a weekday, one running on an early daytime shift and the other starting / finishing later. This is replicated by two teams at the weekends. At the beginning of May this will be supplemented by two teams who will pick up the moderation baton from late in the evening till early morning, seven days a week. Our aim is to provide near instantaneous moderation on a global scale.

Does that sound easy to you? It’s not, but we’ve been fortunate to have been helped by Eva our HR Manager and recruitment agency, Hays. What do you look for in staff whose ambition is to work when the rest of us are sleeping? Surprisingly there are a lot of people who want to and are already living this twilight life, what they lack is something a bit more interesting to do and we can provide that.

Candidates have come from a range of backgrounds. This has included mothers with young children, club hostesses, business consultants, mini-cab dispatchers, warehouse operators, security guards, croupiers, hotel receptionists, graduates, IT administrators. We’ve had a high standard to choose from and the decision on who to take has been based partly on skills and experience but also on our intuition.

No doubt I will be stretching my sleep habits from time to time to keep in touch with our new team. We have high expectations of the impact this will have on our business with the introduction of 24/7 global moderation, not least of which is that it will operate as a prototype for introducing 24/7 customer care and retention later in the year.

Watch this space…

This however is not your typical one night bonanza (as we have become famous for) more, a weekly gathering of the selected few who wish to be known as members of the Global Personals Footballing Community.

Created on the back of some quite comical and often intense team banter, a weekly hour slot was added to the calendar allowing members of the Partner Team, Customer Care, Comms, Moderation, Retention and Development teams to both pit their wits against each other and also combine their powers within the safety net of a football pitch.

An accident waiting to happen I hear you ask. What is the point of this blog you say? Here at Global Personals we thrive on team spirit and the collective environment that we have established since we started many moons ago. The more you know about your colleagues the more you respect what they do individually and more importantly what they do for the company. Social events are not just about having fun and making the most of the free bar (although that does help), it is about recognising the role of each team and how vital they are to the company’s success.

Although I am disappointed to note that there have been a number of injuries (all ankle-related) and a few early retirements, the football has been a huge success with more and more members of the team putting their names in the hat.

So who knows… maybe one day we can have a partner vs. Global Personals charity football match!