Panpac Publishing Asia has launched Perspective, a consumer
magazine for the very elite of Hong Kong's society, including architects
and interior designers.
This is the second niche publication Panpac has launched; the first
being Wine & Dine late last year.
Publisher and president Robert Ferguson said a range of other similar
publications - possibly as many as eight more - targeting small but
lucrative segments of the population will be offered to the market later
this year.
He said niche titles were now a more viable proposition because there is
currently strong demand for them, especially from the point of view of
local content.
"In the past, a lot of these types of magazines - cars, lifestyle,
fashion etc - were imports from the West but they they lacked local
content.
"But as Asia's identity and lifestyle values become ever stronger, the
demand for local content becomes greater and we are trying to provide
the market with what it wants," he told MEDIA.
Panpac, Mr Ferguson said, is in the business of producing magazines
which are of passionate interest to readers.
Perspective is an architecture and interior design publication, however,
it is not a trade magazine; "there are no bricks, steel beams or lifting
cranes in it", Mr Ferguson stressed.
Accordingly, advertisers consist of suppliers of furniture, bathroom and
kitchen fixtures and accessories and interior designers.
Perspective's circulation stands at just over 10,000 and the magazine
can be purchased off newsstands or by subscription.
Mr Ferguson also said that having so many niche titles means that they
will have more content to insert into its Internet portal.
Panpac Publishing Asia's Internet site is currently within the
Xingasia.com site, owned by Panpacmedia.com, the majority owner of
Panpac Publishing Asia.
Panpacmedia.com is a Singapore-based media group that publishes some 22
special interest niche magazines for sale in Singapore and Malaysia.