Yahoo, Starbucks Align For Personals Incentive

Starbucks and Yahoo Personals are enticing consumers with a sweet treat, dangling an offer for a $10 Starbucks card to consumers who subscribe to the online dating service.

As part of the deal, the Seattle-based coffee company and Yahoo launched the Espresso Dating Guide, which offers visitors dating tips from relationship advisor Logan Levkoff on topics including online dating, small talk, wardrobe and post-date follow-up. Through the site, visitors can obtain dating advice, find a date and search out the nearest Starbucks location.

"Starbucks and Yahoo Personals have combined forces with the realization that the two companies share something special, both serve as ideal destinations for singles to meet," Starbucks spokesperson Carole Pucik said. "Starbucks takes over where Yahoo Personals leaves off, it's a natural fit."

Consumers can get a $10 Starbucks card for subscribing to Yahoo Personals

As an extra incentive to boost Yahoo Personals subscriptions, visitors who join Yahoo Personals will receive a $10 Starbucks card through Feb. 19. Subscribers must be 18 years or older. Online materials support.

"The $10 Starbucks Card is a nice bonus for would-be Yahoo Personals subscribers who enjoy reading the Espresso Dating Guide and also want to meet their online love interests over a cup of great coffee," Pucik said.

As part of the partnership, Yahoo Personals and Starbucks will each brand the other's services on their respective Web sites.

A recent survey found people who participate in online dating chose coffeehouses as the ideal place for a first date.

Through the survey, conducted by Strategy One, 39% of singles dated someone they met online. Most survey respondents (85%) said a comfortable atmosphere, casual setting (78%) and safe environment (75%) are the keys for a first date. Another 42% of respondents said they preferred to keep first dates short and 32% look for places where it is easy to exit the date, the survey found.

More than half of respondents (52%) said that "a coffeehouse like Starbucks" is an ideal meeting location for a first date, according to the survey.

The online survey, conducted in December, was based on 303 single Americans 18 and older.