Perfect Match?

There are several ways to create a successful business. The most obvious (and arguably the most ethical) is to create a quality product or service that legitimately has value. This isn’t the only way to go about things, however. Alternatively, if you can identify a perceived “need” that is strong enough, the quality of your product/service becomes irrelevant.

One of the best examples of this questionably shady business model is online dating websites. We’ve all seen the commercials where the .01% of success cases talk about how they were matched on 23 levels of compatibility blah blah blah (just kidding, they’re just actors, not a perfect match). Seriously…does anyone actually think that love and relationships can be quantified in the way these sites suggest? Can a genuine connection actually be made with a person who you’ve never actually met? Furthermore, how do you know the person with whom you’re communicating isn’t just a smart-alec teenager? The answers are no, no, and you can’t. The service being offered by these sites is of very little value. Luckily for them, that makes absolutely no difference.

The minds behind these sites did not think they were actually going to revolutionize the dating process. All they did what identify an extremely powerful desire, the desire for companionship. They then used this desire to exploit the desperation of millions of lonely people around the world. These people don’t care that the service that they are purchasing most likely won’t work. They’re so desperate that they’re willing to try anyway.

To be fair, I don’t think there is anything unethical about this type of marketing strategy. I find it quite clever actually. I also don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with people who use these services. At the same time though, I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.