Harper's Bazaar beat another female title Elle to Malaysia, launching a local edition last month with the stated aim of filling the gap for a high-end international fashion magazine.
Selling at RM7 (US$1.80), Harper's aim is to break away from the busy approach adopted by its competitors. In seeking to attract fashion-conscious young women executives in their late 20s, the title says it will focus on the lifestyle of an educated audience in a more relaxed and mature style. The 196-page launch issue had about 50 pages of the latest fashion, international celebrities and Malaysia's social scene. "Our objective has been to create a new kind of magazine for Malaysian women who are opinion formers and style leaders," says editor, Joan Lau. "The magazine is modern, uncluttered and intelligent. We want to be an ideas source. And we're aiming to get women shopping!"
Harper's is a joint-venture between the US' Hearst group and ACP Asia, which also publishes the Singapore edition. The launch issue also carried 74 ad pages - half of the ads were one-year contracts, according to its advertising director Sivam Kumar. Harper's charges RM4,900 for a one-off full page, putting it at the high-end for women's titles in Malaysia where rates range between RM4,000 and RM5,000.
Agencies agree that Harper's is filling an obvious gap. "It would be of interest to Marie Claire's readers. Marie Claire is more editorially-driven with its focus on the 'thinking woman'. Currently, Female is the only real fashion title but it is of local flavour," notes Universal McCann Malaysia's managing director Kim Raicevich.
The downside is whether the newcomer can attract a sizeable enough readership to interest high-end advertisers. "Malaysia is not really a fashion-driven market like Singapore and Hong Kong hence it will be a test for ACP to keep it going. The potential target may be quite small. It will do well in the high fashion months in March to May and September to November with the international brands," says Raicevich.
Mike Langton, managing director of Carat Malaysia, thinks adspend for women's magazines, which accounts for 62 per cent of the total magazine market in 2002, will continue to increase with the introductions of V Mag E and Elle's anticipated arrival. Even so, the market is getting tougher by the day. Notes Raicevich: "Elle has been struggling to enter this market, having been postponed a couple of months."