Zenyum and Coffee Meets Bagel launch findings of joint survey “Smile At First Sight”
HONG KONG SAR -
Media OutReach - 14 December 2022 -Although this concludes the third year of living with COVID, the pandemic has never stopped us from making new connections. A joint survey conducted by Zenyum and Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) have found that 84% of singles in Hong Kong are attracted to a nice smile on a first date rather than other physical attributes like a six-pack. Titled "Smile At First Sight", the survey sought to discover what singles really want in a partner and what the general sentiment is around dating in Hong Kong.
"This survey proves that despite the COVID lock-down and emigration wave in Hong Kong, people in the city are still very optimistic about going on quality dates," said Steven Wu, Managing Director of Zenyum Hong Kong. "Be open, be honest, and be yourself. Go out there and meet people you feel you can build a meaningful connection and share many smiles with. People are most attractive when they smile!" "A smile is the key to unlocking the magic on your first date," says Dawoon Kang, Co-founder and Chief Dating Officer from Coffee Meets Bagel. "Attractiveness is more than physical traits, a kind smile is what people long for after this prolonged period of masked faces."
Smiles or six-packs? When asked about the post-COVID dating outlook in Hong Kong, 1,782 CMB app users say that they are active on the dating scene. 75% of respondents have spent more time on dating apps post-COVID, despite the difficulties brought about by closures of public spaces and limited availability of dating locations. Over 80% of them still desire to meet new people. In the past two years, 66% of app users have experienced a date getting cancelled or failed to attend a date due to the closure of public spaces. 60% felt it was harder to find a compatible partner in Hong Kong due to COVID restrictions, travel bans and the wave of emigration. Yet 81% of respondents expressed strongly that they would not skip a date or stop meeting new people due to the fear of COVID. Some common misconceptions are that you need to be well-off or look like a movie star to get matched with someone on a dating app. Yet regardless of gender, the most important traits we look for in a partner are their personality, confidence and a kind smile. The top three qualities in the survey results include honesty (76%), a nice smile (60%), and intelligence (52%). Other interesting findings were that 10% of respondents believed star sign compatibility was important and 3.5% wanted their date to be a K-drama fanatic! First impressions do count, but not in the way you think they do. Physical attributes like height (57%), straight teeth (49%), and cute dimples (23%) are still appreciated by many, but the highest ranking physical attribute that almost all users like is a nice and kind smile (84%). In fact, over half of Hong Kong singles believe that their smiles (58%) and personal style (63%) are key to attracting the right date! Rather than just chasing after a six-pack which only 14% of respondents voted as an attractive or very attractive physical trait, it is still important to maintain those pearly whites to dazzle your date. Another aspect that users highlighted is the importance of personal hygiene on a first date. The survey highlights the biggest turn-offs for our respondents, such as bad breath (65%), body odour (63%), and dirty fingernails (62%).
Profile Photo: Gym selfie or Cat pics? How do you prepare yourself for a first date? First of all, it is important to look presentable and have good hygiene. The survey has shown that a smile is a curve that sets everything straight, so work on keeping your teeth clean and flash a big smile to make an excellent first impression. Uploading a profile picture which shows you smiling widely will also make a strong statement about your personality. Ditch the gym selfie and party photos for a nice candid shot. Only 7% stated they would swipe right to a gym selfie and 96% voted against party shots. It is important to flaunt that smile on your profile, and even better if you have a furry friend in the frame! Showing your teeth when you smile also exudes confidence; make sure you are not posing too much and keep it natural. If you are out of ideas, why not upload a photo of yourself enjoying some good food? Not only will this highlight your great taste, it can also serve as a good conversation topic when you meet your date.
First Date: Icebreakers and Deal breakers When you are on a date, it is best to avoid conversations about your ex, your family or your pet peeves. Too much information shared on a first date can be a turn-off for many! 77% strongly believe that it is not good to speak about past relationships and 43% prefer not to talk about their family on a first date. Instead, respondents feel it is better to talk about your lifestyle (67%), favourite food & drinks (65%) or travel...
