Prestige magazine will launch a Hong Kong edition in September, in an offering which will combine luxury lifestyle trends and issues with social interests.
The launch comes as international publishing house Edipresse Group revealed it had acquired a 70 per cent stake in the regional publisher of Tatler, Communication Management.
The launch comes as international publishing house Edipresse Group revealed it had acquired a 70 per cent stake in the regional publisher of Tatler, Communication Management.
Prestige -- which will also roll out a Thailand edition in August -- already exists in three other markets. It was launched in Singapore in 2000 by CR Media, and was subsequently rolled out in Malaysia and Indonesia. The Hong Kong edition will be a joint venture between CR Media and 3cm Media.
CEO and MD of CR Media Jane Leong said the publication's increasing regional footprint would enable it to attract a greater number of readers and advertisers, and would offer a different product to consumers.
"Prestige blends the various aspects of luxury lifestyle -- the good life -- with an insider's appreciation of local societies in each market," she said. "It's a sophisticated, glamorous and distinctive combination, and it appeals both to our readers and our advertisers." The Prestige team includes managing director and associate publisher Anne Lim-Chaplain, who spent several years with publishing company Asia Inc, and was also an associate producer with Communication Management.
Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Brian Chow has been named publisher, while Victor George Paddy -- former editor of Cathay Pacific's Discovery magazine -- has taken on the role of editor.
Meanwhile, the Swiss-based Edipresse Group employs more than 3,500 staff worldwide, with an annual turnover in excess of US$750 million. Tatler exists in nine markets across the region, including Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Malaysia, and Edipresse Asia CEO Barrie Goodridge said the company was not worried about the competition from newcomer Prestige.
"There have been a number of products that have launched in the same marketplace and Tatler has been around for 30 years," he said. "It has seen many publications start and end in succession, so there's no need for us to worry about a small publication like Prestige." Goodridge said there were no immediate plans to revamp the image of the Tatler magazine, but he added that the company would be examining new ways to improve its offering for consumers.
"(We're looking at) other markets, other products, brand extensions. We're looking at a lot of activities right now," he said.
Goodridge added that Communication Management is well placed to capitalise on the rapidly expand- ing China magazine market, and will allow Edipresse to continue its planned expansion across Asia-Pacific.