Online dating game extends Cosmo brand Sarah Plaskitt
Cosmopolitan
has developed a marketing and editorial initiative in an online dating game targeted at women aged 16–35 through Ninemsn that aims to extend the brand’s presence online.
Users register to play online, fill out a short questionnaire and then go on a series of virtual dates that take place over a minimum of 33 days as their new ‘boyfriend’ emails and dates them through www.cosmopolitan.com.au.
The aim of the game is to successfully win their date’s affections, with the player in total control of the relationship.
At the end of every online ‘date’ there is a multiple choice questionnaire and the better the players ‘click’ with their online date, the longer their cyber-relationship will be.
Editor of Cosmopolitan, Mia Freedman, said ‘E-male boyfriend’ offered readers a unique interactive experience.
“We wanted our site to extend the Cosmopolitan brand further, not just replicate magazine content. The website is working very well for the brand, and ‘E-male boyfriend’ provides another fun and interactive device with which to titillate and keep viewers coming back for more,” Freedman said.
The site has major sponsors such as Procter & Gamble and allows them to develop a privacy compliant database to send samples and marketing information.
“‘E-male boyfriend’ enables us to meet our brand objectives by communicating about Herbal Essences while providing our consumers with a fun experience at the same time,” Procter & Gamble’s interactive marketing manager Mike Pola said.
