Dating firm Lunch Actually taps on Lazada's livestreaming prowess ahead of Valentine's Day

Local matchmaking company Lunch Actually has partnered with eCommerce platform Lazada to launch a four-part matchmaking series leading up to Valentine’s Day. The campaign, titled "Match me if you can", is said to combine shopping and entertainment, and allows audience to purchase various Lunch Actually products and services while being directly involved in interactive content delivered by dating experts through a livestreaming service on the Lazada platform, LazLive. 

Through the interactive matchmaking series, Lunch Actually and Lazada will feature the journey of two singles who are trying to find a match, and viewers can either follow their dating journey, or submit their own profiles to be matchmade with the featured bachelor and bachelorette.

According to Lunch Actually's CEO Violet Lim, the goal of the campaign is also to provide useful insights through trendy, engaging and informative content for singles to help them succeed in their dating journey to find the right one. At the same time, it allows them to grab the best deals that will appear during the livestream. The series is targeted at young singles in Singapore who are tech-savvy and content-oriented, and love to try new things and are genuine in finding love. Lunch Actually hopes to increase brand awareness through the series, and reach out to more singles in Singapore. As the campaign is also heavy on content and engagement, it also expects an increase in user activity on both platforms.  

The series is said to be the first matchmaking campaign to be conducted live while utilising audience engagement. The series will come in four continuous episodes released weekly, which will provide an overview of the dating preparation process from beginning to the end. The livestream will feature Lim and other dating coaches. Its content also includes dating tips and secrets on various topics such as how to win on dating apps, building attraction, image and grooming, and a first date guide.

Lim said: “We have been constantly evolving and innovating with market trends and responding to what singles want. Livestreaming has been taking off in Asia in the past year, and we believe that by adding our own matchmaking twist, we will be able to showcase our expertise and engage singles in this all new interesting format." 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Lim said the company chose to partner with Lazada as it sees Lazada as the leading eCommerce platform in the region with a huge market share. Additionally, Lazada also shares similar target audience and demographics as Lunch Actually, so it sees a great synergy in this partnership.

To promote the event, the company will be using its digital marketing assets through social media, EDMs, webinars, digital ads, as well as on Lazada’s platforms through various banners on the app and push notifications.

Taking a digital turn in 2021

Lunch Actually has been operating for 17 years in five countries in Asia, including Singapore. It also boasts to have arranged more than 140,000 first dates. While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the dating company to take a digital pivot for its marketing strategies in 2020, its marketing effort became a major breakthrough for the company during the pandemic, when it managed to launch weekly webinars. The company also scaled up its digital channels, and adjusted its messaging to inform and assure clients that it is still committed to providing them the best service through virtual consultations, virtual dates, virtual speed dating events, and virtual coaching sessions.

Since then, Lunch Actually has decided to focus on digitalisation in the coming year. Lim said it is determined to continuously grow its market share by utilising a variety of interesting and insightful content through the convenience of technology to reach more people. The strategy is also its way to work towards its ultimate goal of creating one million happy marriages.

As part of its digitalisation journey, the company launched its Lunch Actually app last year to make it easier for consumers to find it, book an appointment, chat with its team and in the future, view their matches and date arrangements easily on the app. On top of that, it offers virtual masterclass, webinars, and virtual events to engage with its members and potential customers. Lunch Actually also has its LazMall flagship store online, where singles can purchase various Lunch Actually products such as exclusive masterclasses, dating packages, and dating vouchers at a discounted price.

"Technology and the creative industry are constantly evolving, so our marketing team is too, constantly innovating and trying new things to reach out to our target audience. Our foray into live streaming is just the beginning. We believe there are more opportunities and creative concepts that we can explore - because dating is always a popular and interesting topic!" Lim said.

Lunch Actually is not the only company to tap on the livestreaming hype. Earlier this month, digital content producer SGAG also partnered with Lazada to provide weekly shoppertainment experience for shoppers in Singapore across 12 weeks. Putting a spin on its catchphrase “KTHXBYE”, the partnership is named “KTHXBUY”, and combines retail entertainment. In doing so, SGAG aims to drive the content-to-commerce strategy at scale as it creates a fun, trendy and entertaining shopping experience for young consumers on the platform.

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