Newsmaker: China's king of online dating

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Does the Chinese government regulate your business?
Marine: The Chinese government has some regulations for the whole industry. For example, they ask you to have a license to provide Internet service. But they do not have specific requirements for the dating business; they just demand that we do not provide pornography.

If your users upload something, is that your responsibility?
Marine: Yes.

Does the government ask you to provide information about your users?
Marine: No. (But) I think they have the right to ask any of the Internet providers to provide their users' information. But they will not use their power (unless) they think you did something wrong.

Recently it was revealed that the United States government has been gathering data on ordinary citizens' phone calls. Millions and millions. What do you think of that?
Marine: Although I'm not sure whether the Chinese government is doing that, if they are, I think it is so ordinary. The most important thing for the Chinese government is that the economy grows and (they maintain) the stability of the Communist Party.

Tell us about Efriends' recent acquisition by the French company Meetic.
Marine: Meetic is the largest dating provider in Europe. The deal has been partially announced. We announced that the price is $20 million plus. I think it's a good deal because Meetic is No. 1 in Europe and our vision is to be No. 1 in Asia.

What do you see as the most interesting new trend in your industry?
Marine: I think in this industry the most important trend is (that) serious dating is getting more popular. Serious means dating for marriage. In the past 10 years, most people used dating services online just for chatting, for making friends, to get together for dinner or to go on an outing, camping, like that. But I think from this year more and more people will be serious when they date...others (via an online service).

We plan to launch a special channel for serious dating users. I think that is the most important plan we have this year.

In Japan they have investigation companies that help look into the background of the person you're interested in marrying. Some people want to look into a person's family background, education, etc. and make sure there aren't any deal-breakers or red flags. Does China have that kind of thing?
Marine: I think that is a basic need, but I don't think in China we have inspectors (to do this kind of work). I think few people have enough money to pay for those kinds of services. But our solution is also a social network. You can check references from your friends.

Will you be able to charge extra for these special services?
Marine: In the past, we charged our VIP members only 15 renminbi per month for giving them an opportunity to receive a message on their cell phone when the other users leave them a message. And they can freely upload their pictures--We do not provide any modification except (in the case of) pornography.

In the future, when we provide a serious dating service, it would be more strict when a user uploads some content and pictures and photos. It will not appear on our Web site for 24 hours. We will have a team--maybe 70 to 80 people--to view all this and to screen comments uploaded by users to make sure everyone uploads his or her real photo.

Do you have any advice for foreign companies coming to China that are interested in the mobile business in China or the Internet business in China?
Marine: I think I have two (pieces of advice). The first one is to understand more about the way Chinese people do business. I think in America, I hear that people do business and after that business they could be friends. But in China, Chinese businessmen are used to making friends (first), then after that they can do business. So, if they think you just come to me to do business with me, I do not trust you.

The second one is to give Chinese businessmen more trust. China is a developing country, and I think the professionalism of businessmen is still improving. Sometimes I think, if a foreign partner does not trust the counterpart in China, they will make some decision from outside of China and ask the Chinese partner to do something, but it may not work in China. The Chinese partner will not be happy and there may be some local issues in the ways you do business in America that don't work in China. So, give more trust to the Chinese partner.  

More Newsmakers

[Jackson Cracker]

first met in late November of 2006?

I realize China is in a later time zone than the USA, but I didn't think it was that late.

[katamari]

Hahaha

Had me laughing. Good comment in jest.

Cliff, fix your article. Makes you look bad...

[Jon Skillings]

Typo fixed

Even on that side of the International Date Line, China's clocks don't run that far ahead. The year was actually 2005.

[Kushan]

Interesting interview.

Seems like a neat guy.

[ss_Whiplash]

No revenue???

"but we didn't generate any revenue, and the worst thing is that we didn't think generating revenue was necessary"

Way too many companies had this mindset a few years back and it absolutely floors me. How do you come to the conclusion that generating revenue is not necessary for running a business???

[jabbotts]

better products come from less revenue focus

well, that'd be my guess anyhow as I'm not business genious. Here's my thoughts though:

In the technology industry, the better technology rarely wins out over the better marketed technology.

A revenue focused business produces the cheapest "good enough" product that they can to maximize profit margin (revenue). All that revenue means great advertising and a loss for the better technology.

A innovation focused business produces the best possible product that they can for minimal profit margin because they're concern is moving technology forward not investor's bank accounts. But then, less revenue for marketing means the "good enough" technology and greed win over the better technology.

I can see how a couple of students would focus on the ideals of their first business and overlook the need for revenue. Unfortunately, in tech, you always have to compete against the usual greed gluttons who survive by keeping the better technology from threatening there slow and steady release schedual.

[Mark C. Brooks]

Beijing - iDate2006

I met Marine Ma at the Asian internet dating convention in Beijing earlier this year

Mark Brooks
editor, onlinepersonalswatch.com
media relations, internetdatingconvention.com