Millennium reviews prove a winner - Crisis-hit Asians also clamoured for quality coverage on business opportunities

<p>The end of century and new millennium celebration mania emerged as </p><p>the most popular cover topics among newsstand readers across </p><p>Asia-Pacific in 1999. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Regional news magazines rolled out reviews of the most influential </p><p>personalities and developments of the past century, while business </p><p>titles featured surveys which ranked corporations. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Time scored a 64 per cent jump in newsstand sales to 46,391 copies for </p><p>its August 23 issue, headlines: "The Most Influential Asians of the 20th </p><p>Century". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Leading historical figures like Mohandas Gandhi, Sun Yat Sen and Ho Chi </p><p>Minh, who had set Asia's political agenda in the past century, were </p><p>featured, capitalising on regional readers' attachment to their history </p><p>and heritage. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The Most Influential Asians of the Century was a special issue, which </p><p>had a lot of appeal to the regional market and this invariably impacted </p><p>the newsstand sales," said Ms Anne Pappas, Time promotion director. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Although ad revenue did not necessarily correlate to newsstand sales, </p><p>Time's review for the August 23 issue was almost 50 per cent above </p><p>average. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Nevertheless, Ms Pappas reckoned the ultimate best seller of the year </p><p>would be the December 27 "Person of the Century" special issue, given </p><p>the build-up in interest in this particular topic. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The issue has already pulled in ad revenue of more than US$13 </p><p>million internationally; Asia generated US$3.9 million of this, </p><p>up about 62.5 per cent on the previous record of US$2.4 million </p><p>from the "Vision of China" issue. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The May 24 Suharto Inc issue was also among the top-selling issue at </p><p>newsstands, particularly in Indonesia. Other key markets also reported a </p><p>sell-out of that issue. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The end-of-the-century review also boosted newsstand sales of The </p><p>Economist. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Its September 11 issue, titled "20th Century Survey" with a cover </p><p>feature on "The Tragedy of East Timor", achieved an eight per cent hike </p><p>in newsstand circulation to 90,000 copies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Economist's "20th Century Survey" issue offered an analytical and </p><p>indepth report on the global political and socio-economic development of </p><p>the past century. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Newsstand circulation accounts for about 30 per cent of The Economist's </p><p>distribution in Asia. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the wake of the Asian meltdown, regional as well as global news </p><p>proved to be particularly important to Asian readers. The Economist </p><p>advertising director Oliver Comyn said Asians paid more attention to </p><p>international news, focussing on market and investment opportunities </p><p>outside the region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>International developments, which carried a regional angle and local </p><p>story with global implications were in demand by readers in Asia, given </p><p>the growing globalisation drive. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Economist's September 11 issue achieved ad revenue of US$590,000, up 70 per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Comyn said advertising had picked up in the past year. Advertisers </p><p>were returning with an international schedule in their plans. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Advertising sales for The Economist jumped 40 per cent from April to </p><p>December 1999, while newsstand sales were stable in the past year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The depressed travel sector also bounced back last year. Mr Comyn said </p><p>hotels and airlines rolled out new global campaigns last year, the first </p><p>time they had done so since the crisis. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>As a result, ad revenue showed a significant rise by year-end 1999, </p><p>encouraging Mr Comyn to take a more bullish outlook on the industry's </p><p>prospects this year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The new millennium preview report lifted newsstand sales of Asiaweek to </p><p>12,493 copies, 64 per cent above average. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The August 20 issue, "Asia in the New Millennium", featured 20 trends, </p><p>which were tipped to shape the new millennium, the millennium preview </p><p>issue boosted newsstand sales 136 per cent in Malaysia, 109 per cent in </p><p>the Philippines and 82 per cent in Hong Kong. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The breaking news story on the tragic death of John F Kennedy Jr in a </p><p>plane crash proved to be a winner in Asia. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Newsstand sales of Newsweek's July 26 issue, featuring the disaster - </p><p>"An American Tragedy - John F. Kennedy Jr", hit 69,817 copies, up 26 per </p><p>cent compared with the average. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Newsstand sales were spread evenly across the region, underlining the </p><p>value Asian readers placed on both local and international news. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Newsweek also capitalised on millennium coverage to boost sales. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Its "Issue 2000", which hit newsstands from mid December to February, </p><p>carried a range of topics, which covered issues and opportunities facing </p><p>the world. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Newsweek said the issue was bound to generate significant editorial </p><p>interest among readers, given the preview of business, society and </p><p>international affairs in the new millennium. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Special corporate and country reports and surveys proved to be a strong </p><p>catalyst in boosting newsstand sales. The Far Eastern Economic Review's </p><p>January 7 issue, titled: "Review 200 Double Issue", lifted newsstand </p><p>sales 52 per cent to 7,918 copies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Profiling the region's 200 leading companies, Review advertising </p><p>director Lesley Kelly said readers showed strong interest in the kind of </p><p>large qualitative reports on local and multinational companies it </p><p>offered. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Fortune's "Fortune Global 500" issue of August 2 achieved 31 per cent </p><p>increase in newsstand sales to 8,492 copies, with total circulation </p><p>amounting to 73,138 copies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The annual survey continued to break newsstand sales records in </p><p>1999. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It climbed 59 per cent above average in Hong Kong, 61 per cent in Japan </p><p>and 52 per cent in Taiwan. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Listing the world's largest companies with analysis on the factors </p><p>behind their success, the issue generated advertising revenue of </p><p>US$750,000, 50 per cent up from average. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Fortune's biggest advertising selling issue was the October 11 issue </p><p>with the "Vision of China" cover story, whose advertising jumped more </p><p>than 100 per cent above average. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Business Week's June 14 issue, titled "Asia's Stars", saw a 14 per cent </p><p>increase in newsstand sales to 7,847 copies and advertising revenue rose </p><p>20 per cent to US$456,000. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CFO's "Value Champs" issue in November, which featured Asia's top </p><p>corporate wealth creators recorded a 33 per cent jump in newsstand sales </p><p>to 950 copies, while advertising revenue rose 10 per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Forbes' July 5 issue, titled: "The Billionaires - Masayoshi Son", </p><p>featuring the world's richest people, lifted newsstand sales across the </p><p>region 100.63 per cent to 16,000 copies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Chinese readers were attracted to exclusive and investigative reports, </p><p>as Yazhou Zhoukan's August 29 issue, titled: "Li Ao running for Taiwan's </p><p>Presidency" was 1999 best newsstand selling issue, at 4,480 copies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>