In a constantly evolving world, businesses are more aware than ever of the importance of digital development, especially when it comes to catching and sustaining the attention of young people.
We met with Nana Wereko-Brobby, the founder and brainchild behind London’s hippest new matchmaking platform, Social Concierge (previously featured on The Sybarite – click here to read the article), to learn more about how she’s incorporating digital platforms into her business.
Social Concierge, the unique dating platform that focuses on bringing people together in person rather than simply a swipe on a screen, is soon to launch an app as an extension of their services. Nana said of the app:
“As an offline private dating events club, technology was never at the forefront. The idea behind Social Concierge is curating private events – whether cocktail parties or dinners – for a vetted group of professionals. It functions just like a member’s club – everything is offline. However, communicating invitations with members was proving difficult. People were missing our weekly newsletters and we started to realise that members needed a portal they could access easily to find out what events were going on, and RSVP easily”.
She continued to explain that the app is an important way of communicating with members, improving engagement and ensuring that people knew about the brilliant opportunities available to them.
“As all members pay a monthly fee (£40pcm) we wanted to make sure that as well as invitations to events, we could add new events and luxury lifestyle benefits every week to the platform – whether it’s a class a gym in Kensington or champagne on arrival at a bar.”
With people more reliant on their phones to remind them of birthdays, social engagements and breaking news, the introduction of the new app will go some way to improving the reach of Social Concierge. While the app is in progress, Nana points out that people can still use the website to apply to the members club and will also receive weekly invitations on Fridays. But Nana’s aim is for the app to be a fully integrated part of the platform, adding “however, we’re trying to push members to using the app as their private dating events stream. The more engaged they are, the more we can think about bringing in new functionality in Q4 2016.”
Ultimately, the aim of the app is to make members lives easier. Instead of long newsletters or wordy emails, there will now be a one-stop destination for users, with added bonuses. Nana explains: “members will now have access to a virtual Black Card, ensuring entry to the private clubs and events we partner with… the app is our new clubhouse.”
“In terms of user experience, it’s going to be seamless, surprising and anticipatory – they need to get excited about our events! The idea is also to create a sense of pride and exclusivity around belonging to the private network – and constantly rewarding members for their participation in the community.”
Nana is proud of the unique take on dating that Social Concierge offers, and wants to maintain her brand identity of minimalism and elegance in the app. She worked on the designs herself and later collaborated with an agency to bring them to life.
So how is Social Concierge different to other dating platforms? The main distinction is the focus on personal interaction at events and the member’s only policy at a cost of £40 a month.
Nana explains the platform’s history: “Social Concierge grew out of the food blogging boom, starting out as a review site for where to date in London. Without a strong social media and content marketing focus, we wouldn’t have been able to build up a strong brand identity and following. The app is a logical step but, as there are so many dating apps out there, we waited a long time to make sure it was the right time. It’s what our members were asking for.”
As a dating platform for millennials, Nana is certainly on the right track with the introduction of the new app. 2016 is looking a lot more promising for many of London’s lonely hearts.
