Europe's largest and most successful serious online dating service launches in the UK

PARSHIP, Europe's largest and most successful compatibility-based online dating service has now launched in the UK, looking to capture a sizable share of the £15 million dating market, which according to Jupiter Research is expected to grow to £47 million by 2008.

Originally launched in Germany in 2001, PARSHIP is the first online relationship service in Europe to employ a proprietary psychometric test to determine matches between compatible people. Now with over one million members, PARSHIP is growing faster than any other online dating site in Europe and has tripled its membership in the last 12 months.

Tony Blin-Stoyle, PARSHIP.co.uk country manager and former managing director of UpMyStreet.com and FT.com commented:

"Serious online dating services are growing three times more quickly than casual dating sites, as PARSHIP's success in mainland Europe has demonstrated. Online dating has now become mainstream in Britain, with 45% of single people claiming that they would use some form of online dating service in the future. The market is clearly ready to expand with a service that focuses on people seeking serious relationships. PARSHIP's market niche and methodology are highly distinctive, making the service a very attractive partner for print and online media owners. We are planning to sign a string of partnership deals over the coming months."

Over the past two months search-engine marketing has already driven over 16,000 registrations on the site; some 75% of all visitors go on to register and take the PARSHIP test, demonstrating the market demand for a relationship-focused service of this kind. To establish the brand in the UK, PARSHP.co.uk will be supported by a seven-figure budget for online, print and broadcast advertising. PARSHIP.co.uk's media planning and buying is in the hands of Phillip Hayes at BBVS Bygraves Bushell Valladares & Sheldon, while other marketing activities are being handled by Yehuda Shapiro, an independent consultant who was Tony Blin-Stoyle's Head of Marketing at FT.com.

In a further initiative, PARSHIP.co.uk's online affiliates programme is being launched with the offer of £50 for each new referral, more than double the industry standard.

Headquartered in Germany, PARSHIP is majority-owned by Holtzbrinck networXs AG, part of the Georg von Holtzbrinck publishing group, one of Germany's largest publishing companies with 2 financial interests in more than 80 companies, including the Macmillan Group. Driven primarily by revenue-share partnerships with leading names in the print and online media, including FAZ, Die Zeit and Der Spiegel, as well as Tiscali and T-online, membership of PARSHIP has grown to 1,000,000 in the last year. Since its launch in 2001, PARSHIP GmbH has expanded to cover UK, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.