Media: GMM Grammy eyes 'bloke' arena

BANGKOK: The publishing arm of entertainment giant GMM Grammy is venturing into men's magazines after successfully breaking into women's titles with Madame Figaro and Her World last year. GMM Times will launch the Thai-language version of UK men's lifestyle title Maxim in mid-December, pitching it between FHM and Esquire, said editor-in-chief Dom Chotivanich. "We are aimed at 23 to 35 year-olds - not as old as Esquire's, but getting a bit older than FHM." Defined internationally as 'the bloke', the Maxim reader is likely to be a graduate, with a few years work experience and some extra cash to spare, he said. The 200-page publication will remain faithful to its UK counterpart in format, but international content is likely to be borrowed mostly from the US edition.

by | 09/24/2004

"Thais have basically grown up watching Hollywood films and American TV, so they're more familiar with US culture. But we will take some content - like football and car culture - from the UK magazine."

International content will ultimately account for 40 per cent of the title, which is expected to have an initial print run of 120,000 copies a month. Like Her World, Maxim is a joint-venture withSingapore Press Holdings.

Unlike the women's magazine market, which has seen a barrage of new international titles over the last couple of years, the men's market has been relatively sedate. Maxim joins just three international names - Esquire, Penthouse and FHM - at a time when the magazine market is expanding, and interest in international titles is growing.