Cheek’d dating cards creator Lori Cheek just might have created the next eHarmony or Match. That’s the kind of buzz Cheek’d is getting prior to appearing on Shark Tank on February 28, imagine what people will be saying after the business jumps in with the Sharks.
Lori Cheek claims she was “tortured” with her last name, but she (pardon the pun) turned the other cheek when it came to naming her dating service that uses dating cards as a method of introduction.
The Cheek’d concept is simple: create a profile on the Cheek’d website, then order a deck of 50 dating cards. Each card has a pick-up line on them with a link to your profile on one side and the saying “you’ve been Cheek’d” on the other. The idea is if you see someone you might like to meet, you hand them a card; they can then check out your profile and see if they want to meet you. It’s old-school dating with a modern twist or, as Lori Cheek likes to say, “it’s online dating, backwards.”
Cheek’d is the buzz of the New York dating scene and has a loyal and growing following. There’s even a Cheek’d app. The concept could work anywhere in the world, and that’s what she’s hoping for.
My Take on Dating Cards
I am fond of saying “my wife and I met the old-fashioned way, IN A BAR!” I honestly never used a dating service of any kind, nor do I think I ever will. That said, I think the Cheek’d dating cards concept is a unique approach to online dating. It brings some of the real world contact into the equation.
People who know me will tell you that I am not what you’d call a shy person. I’ll strike up a conversation with anybody, so when I was dating (all those years ago), I didn’t have a problem approaching women. A lot of people do, which makes online dating so popular – it removes the element of personal rejection. Online dating also “sterilizes” the whole process. Choosing a date (or a mate) has become a lot like ordering shoes online: you might get the right fit, but if you don’t, you can return them and start again.
Using the Cheek’d dating cards brings the right mix of real-life interaction and rejection avoidance to the table. This is why I think it could take off. Imagine you’re out somewhere and you see someone you’d like to meet. Rather than trolling online to find them, you can hand them a card. Maybe it strikes up a conversation on the spot (it IS a good ice-breaker) or not. The person you “Cheek” can look you up, without feeling threatened or pressured, and decide for themselves if they want to pursue anything further (or at all).
I hope to God I never have to use a dating service, but if I ever do Cheek’d would be right up my alley.
Are Sharks Cheeky?
Dating services haven’t fared well in the Shark Tank in the past, but Cheek’d might be the one that gets a feeding frenzy going. Last year, Three Day Rule got rebuked like a wallflower at a barn dance, but Cheek’d is different. The question is, do the Sharks think it’s different enough?
It’s too bad Daymond isn’t on the panel in this episode, I think it would be a deal he’d go for and Lori Cheek’s New Yorkyness would likely endear her to him. When you get to the heart of it though, Cheek’d is going to be all about customer aquisition cost and market penetration. The dating cards are a cool idea, but they need to earn cold, hard cash.
Cheek’d is a tech play when you get to the heart of it, which likely puts Barbara on the outs; she usually doesn’t go for anything with an app involved. Lori might like it, but she’ll give the old “I don’t think you need me” line and go out, too. That leaves Robert, Mr. Wonderful and Mark.
Any one of the three has the tech savvy to invest if the numbers work. Mark will bid if he doesn’t have to “babysit” Lori Cheek. Robert might bid if he believes in the technology. Mr. Wonderful will need a novel way to get a royalty on every match made! If Cheek’d can prove the buzz about their dating cards translates into profits, the Sharks might just get Cheek’d themselves.
