Harmony Case Study - Eharmony

                                                                                Gage Ott

eHarmony

1. eHarmony’s unique matching algorithm serves as a chief characteristic of its competitive advantage; however, by altering their platform to allow members to see everyone’s pictures coupled with their degree of compatibility, eHarmony would significantly improve its membership. This method allows eHarmony to capitalize on the customer’s emphasis on facial attractiveness without compromising its unique matching formula.

By altering their platform in such a way, eHarmony would still maintain its unique matching service designed to promote long-term happiness. The company will keep its exclusive value proposition: a tightly integrated system that encompassed a Personality Profile, fed into a matching algorithm, which led into a guided communication system. This shift will not alter the key premise of the matching algorithm, which is to foster long-term relationships by matching users depending on degrees of similarity, such as intellectual ability and emotional stability. In turn it will provide a rare balance of attractiveness and compatibility.

Allowing members to see the entire pool of potential mates along with their degree of compatibility will attract more members to eHarmony. Combining these two features will allow members who are more concerned with facial attractiveness to sort through profiles until they find the perfect degree of compatibility and attractiveness. This platform pivot will allow eHarmony to provide users with the ability to see more profiles, without compromising their philosophy of making users to connect on deeper levels. According to eHarmony executives, members who are able to view photos are between 9 and 15 times more likely to receive a message. This pivot would provide equilibrium between users who are more concerned with physical attractiveness and those that are more concerned with agreeability and alikeness. By giving people matches with people whom they’re going to feel “a click factor”, they are more likely to get to the point of actually developing a relationship.

1. eHarmony’s competitive advantage in the personals industry is significant. While there is a relatively high number of direct and indirect competitors, eHarmony distinguishes itself from the rest by offering a tightly integrated system encompassing a Personality Profile, matching algorithm, and guided communication system.

In comparison with free-do- it yourself sites and online social networks, eHarmony provides an important barrier separating lurkers and casual daters from those committed to long-term relationships. This level of security, provides eHarmony with an important level of legitimacy.  With more people concerned about privacy, the usefulness of social networks and do-it- yourself sites are curtailed. Another important advantage eHarmony has is its ability to capture a wide range of age within the population. In contrast to social networks, which were used less often by people in their 40s and 50s, eHarmony considered this age group one of its most successful demographic groups.