New English-language tabloid Hong Kong iMail has defied sceptics by
achieving month-to-month profitability in October, just five months
after launch.
Publisher Nigel Oakins pointed to job ads, which were up 25 per cent,
and substantial growth in public notices and other categories of
classified advertising.
The iMail replaced the previous Hongkong Standard after investment
bankers Lazards took a majority stake in publisher Sing Tao, which also
has a Chinese-language daily, a Chinese-language newspaper network
overseas and several printing companies.
Mr Oakins said the iMail's current print run was 46,500, including
schools, hotels and airlines, and the aim was to hit a consistent 50,000
by the end of the year. The newspaper received a boost when Cathay
Pacific took up a trial order of 600 copies per day from October. Sister
newspaper Sing Tao has joined with iMail to offer joint rates.
"Advertisers tend to throw an English-language newspaper into the pot by
habit," said Mr Oakins, "and the default English paper has been the
South China Morning Post."
He said that although display advertising had been slow "every month has
been better than the month before and it's a question of hacking away at
it."
The paper is now starting to attract display advertisers such as Cathay
Pacific, British Airways and Pacific Century CyberWorks.
"The previous paper never had mainstream display advertisers before and
this shows confidence from clients that iMail should be on the
schedule," he said.
TOP TEN TV RECALL - HONG KONG
1) McDONALD'S: client: McDonald's; agency: DDB.
2) COCA-COLA: client: Coca-Cola; agency: D'Arcy.
2) PARK N' SHOP: client: Park N' Shop; agency: DDB.
2) VITASOY (General Ad): client: Vitasoy; agency: Saatchi & Saatchi.
5) SUNDAY (Mosquito): client: Sunday Mobile Phone Network; agency:
BBDO.
6) ONE2FREE: client: One2Free; agency: JWT.
7) MANULIFE MPF (Wong Chi Wah): client: Manulife; agency: Rapp Collins
Worldwide.
7) SUNDAY (Female Ghost): client: Sunday Mobile Phone Network; agency:
BBDO.
9) MAXFACTOR SKII: client: Maxfactor; agency: Leo Burnett.
9) REJOICE: client: Rejoice; agency: Leo Burnett.
Data on TV ads scoring the highest recall among consumers polled was
collected by MARKET BEHAVIOUR (Hong Kong) LTD, on behalf of MEDIA.
(October 30-November 10, 2000).
