With the UK leading the way in publishing pocket-sized versions of women's magazines, Hong Kong was fairly slow on the uptake, until SCMP Hearst's Cosmopolitan became the first to try the format locally in January this year.
Following in the footsteps of the UK's Glamour magazine, the title to set the trend, Cosmopolitan's Hong Kong edition is now published in two editions: the regular A4 size and the smaller edition, designed to fit in a handbag.
Following in the footsteps of the UK's Glamour magazine, the title to set the trend, Cosmopolitan's Hong Kong edition is now published in two editions: the regular A4 size and the smaller edition, designed to fit in a handbag.
Josephine Chan, editor of the Chinese-language monthly, says that the pocket-sized version, selling for HK$25 (US$3.20) in comparison to the larger version at $40, has been capturing a new demographic of readers who are younger, professional and increasingly 'on-the-go'. The two are published just half a day apart and carry identical editorial tackling a range of women's issues.
"As the magazine grew, we gained more advertisers and readers. Therefore, we decided to launch the pocket-sized edition and have now set a trend among a younger age group," said Chan.
The increase in advertising meant that the title needed to increase its editorial content to retain its ratio of 45 per cent advertisements and 55 per cent editorial. The regular-sized edition now achieves well over 500 pages per month. The September edition, which showcases the latest fall/winter collections, has 16 pages of advertisements preceding the contents page. Despite efforts to reduce the weight of the paper stock used -- according to Chan, the title is already using the minimum weight possible -- the magazine remains a heavyweight.
Carat's deputy general manager Grace Yao says: "Readers are searching for information on fashion, beauty and health. Therefore, the advertisements, which are usually of a high quality in glossy magazines, become part of the search."
Yao added that while Cosmopolitan has a good mix of ads and editorial, it must stay close to market trends and remain relevant by adding more local content.
Chan said the last few years have seen a change in brands advertising in women's titles, now including more car, technology and mobile communications advertisers, as well as the female-oriented fashion and cosmetics brands. Cosmopolitan is positioned as being 'fun, fearless, female'. It competes with the likes of Amy, Elle and Marie Claire. The title also publishes an annual Cosmopolitan Bride and Cosmopolitan Beauty, coming out four times per year.
