Dating Through Friends Has Its Benefits: Singles Love Meeting Through Friends On AYI

NEW YORK, April 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SNAP Interactive, Inc. ("SNAP") (OTCBB: STVI), creator of AYI is excited to announce that more than one and a half million connections* have been made in the weeks since launching its new 'Friends of Friends' feature for singles to meet new people through mutual friends in March 2013.  In addition, more than 30,000 AYI users have already messaged their friends directly to learn more about a potential connection they discovered on AYI.   We believe these early results suggest that singles are eager for a new and improved online dating experience and represent some of the most exciting and compelling data we have seen in the online dating industry in many years.

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The excitement behind AYI's new Friends of Friends offering is based on AYI's unique opportunity to change the online dating experience for users.  In fact, more than half (51%) of singles claim to have had a bad experience with online dating according to a recent poll of over 3,000 adults conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.  AYI is providing its online dating users with the ability to connect through mutual friends, an experience that more closely mirrors the way singles meet in the "real world," in an attempt to bridge the gap between online and offline dating. 

A core reason for AYI's shift to social dating lies in the fundamental belief that most singles that use dating sites do not enjoy the current online dating experience.  With more than half of singles claiming to have had a bad experience with online dating, and 58% of persons reporting meeting someone online who lied in their profile, nearly two-thirds (63%) of singles say they'd prefer to have a friend in common when meeting someone online according to the poll.  Having a mutual friend in common enables them to learn about the person in advance, which ensures authenticity and thus leads to a better online dating experience.   

SNAP's Chief Executive Officer Clifford Lerner says, "Because of our scale of over 20 million Facebook connected profiles, we were uniquely positioned to launch the innovative Friends of Friends feature on AYI, which is directly aimed at improving and evolving the online dating experience.  Integrating a user's friends into the online dating experience is indeed progressive and different, but we believe that users are craving innovation. The data shows that users are disenchanted with the existing online dating services, while also suggesting that meeting through friends is an established and preferred method for singles to meet new people offline and now online as well. With so many users reporting previous 'bad' experiences in online dating, we believe that integrating friends is a panacea that users are longing for."

Lerner added, "The first few weeks of data since our Friends of Friends launch is simply staggering and provides proof that users prefer to meet through friends when given the opportunity.  With over one million connections already having been made through Friends of Friends in approximately a month, it is clear that any pre-existing stigma toward online dating can rapidly erode when users are presented with the ability to meet singles through mutual friends.  Even more compelling is the fact that women in particular appear to be embracing the new concept.  In fact, the results show that women from the US are 64% more likely to interact with a man on AYI when there is a mutual friend in common."

AYI is excited to be in position to offer such progressive and innovative features and continues to be an innovator in the social dating space. 

About SNAP Interactive, Inc.

SNAP Interactive, Inc. develops, owns and operates a social dating application for social networking websites and mobile platforms.  SNAP's flagship brand, AYI is one of the largest social dating applications on the Internet with millions of monthly active users on the Facebook platform, and offers a completely integrated Facebook, iPhone, Android and Web application.  With 51% of singles reporting 'bad' experiences when meeting people online, AYI's mission is to improve the experience of meeting new people by integrating a user's friends and interests to enable more meaningful connections.  For more information, please visit http://www.snap-interactive.com/, its blog at http://devblog.snap-interactive.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/SnapInteractiveInc and on Twitter at @SNAPInteractive.

The contents of our websites are not part of this press release, and you should not consider the contents of these websites in making an investment decision with respect to our common stock.

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. iPhone® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.  Are You Interested?® is a registered trademark of SNAP Interactive, Inc.

Industry Data

The data included in this press release regarding industry trends, user experiences and relative industry position are based on a variety of sources, including third-party surveys, internally-derived metrics across all platforms through which our application is accessed, industry publications and estimates based on our knowledge and experience in the industry in which we operate.  This information may prove to be inaccurate due to the method by which we or third parties obtained some of the data or because this information cannot always be verified with complete certainty due to the limits on the availability and reliability of user data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties. Further, this information, in certain cases, is based on historic data and may not reflect the most current data available.  As a result, you should be aware that industry data included in this press release, and estimates and beliefs based on that data, may not be reliable.  We have not independently verified all of the industry data included in this press release and cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

The poll results are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted from March 12 – March 18, 2013.  For the survey, a national sample of 3,016 adults aged 18 and older from Ipsos' U.S. online panel were interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the U.S. adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of 3,016 and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire adult population of parents in the United States had been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Words such as "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "plan," "project," "seek," "target," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: general economic, industry and market sector conditions; the Company's future growth and the ability to obtain additional financing to implement the Company's growth strategy; the ability to anticipate and respond to changing user and industry trends and preferences; reliance on a very limited number of third party platforms to run the Company's applications and the ability of third party platforms to take action against these applications; the intense competition in the online dating marketplace; the ability to establish and maintain brand recognition; the ability to develop and support successful applications for mobile platforms; the success of the redesigned AYI brand and product; the success of the new friends of friends feature on the AYI product; and circumstances that could disrupt the functioning of the Company's applications and websites.  In evaluating these statements, you should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties and those described under the headings "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement was made, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.

*A 'connection' is defined as a user on AYI either faving or messaging another user.  

PR Contact:
Kayla Inserra
[email protected]
919-601-2247

IR Contact:
Denise Garcia
[email protected]

SOURCE SNAP Interactive