HONG KONG: Sing Tao Holdings is repositioning the iMail to focus on
business, a year after the English-language tabloid replaced the Hong
Kong Standard.
Sing Tao, which bought the tabloid from investment bank Lazard Feres,
laid off 100 staff across the group, including editor Andrew Lynch and
sales and marketing director Michael Denmark.
Sources said Sing Tao was restructuring to maximise earnings from
iMail's legal notices advertising before it expires next year. The
restructuring was aimed at maximising resources across the group
including merging the sales functions under new group sales director
Yolanda Lo.
New editor Timothy Jim said: "If we don't do this now we'll find
ourselves in a more difficult situation next year."
Media agencies were surprised by iMail's sudden closure, saying the
tabloid should have been given another year. However others like Dominic
Ng, CIA Hong Kong director, added: "I don't think it did enough to
differentiate itself."
The sweeping changes were preceded by the rollout of a multi-million
dollar campaign for the Daily by McCann-Erickson. A group spokesman
said: "Its positioning is different because we have comprehensive news
coverage, providing any information people are looking for."
- Additional reporting by Christy Liu.
