Slaget om kärleken
En fallstudie om den svenska marknaden för nätdejting, dess nuvarande tillstånd och framtida utmaningar
Internet dating is a relatively new phenomenon that, in using the opportunities of the internet, has taken traditional dating to a new level. The business idea is simple as such. The company provides its customers with a platform that enables interaction, leaving the value creation to the customers. A qualitative study is conducted investigating and mapping the Swedish market for Internet dating. It is researched what the characteristics of the companies are, what the Internet dating businesses in Sweden offer, what the prevailing market conditions are, and lastly what challenges lie ahead for the industry and how they can be solved. The findings show, firstly that the Swedish market consists of a significant amount of actors of which five are the most influential, secondly that the companies despite having such diversified backgrounds only marginally differ in the offerings to the customers as well as in their business models. Thirdly, the industry is characterized by fierce competition amongst the actors and existing market conditions are hostile. In order for the companies to survive it is suggested that they will have to diversify their offerings or their business models. It is further proposed that the companies must redefine the business environment and develop better relationships with their loyal customers. Based on our findings, it is concluded that consolidation shake-out is inevitable.