PROFILE: Media Watch - US teen bible Seventeen muscles into Cleo's Thai turf

US women's magazine Seventeen launched its first issue this month with a bang at popular teen hangout Siam Square and an impressive line-up of advertisers including Clinique, Lancolm, Biotherm, BMW and Siemens.

Despite a market of about 40 women's titles, media planners say that the future looks bright for the new entrant.

"We believe there's room in the market for a specific teens publication," says Suphanee Dechabyurananon, group executive media director at MindShare.

"It is good quality and we believe it will do well in light of the success of other international publications that have entered the market."

The women's magazine market has, over the last couple of years, seen the entry of leading international brands such as Elle, Cleo, Cosmo and Lisa.

"Elle's readership figures have gone up by double digits each year and Cleo has also done very well so far," notes CIA Media Innovation planning director Wiriya Vorasithisak. "Thai teens are interested in foreign content so advertisers also want to get into foreign magazines."

This sentiment is shared by OMD media planning director, Sutthasinee Lovichit and MediaCom media planner, Supaporn Prakongwongkul.

Universal McCann's media planning manager Chantani Padmasuta, however, stresses that the newcomer needs to differentiate itself from Cleo. "Seventeen is very similar to Cleo not only in layout but also in content, not like in the US where (its target market) is much younger," she notes. "It is targeting the same readers and same advertisers, and competing directly with Cleo, which has been in the market for much longer."

Chantani reckons that of the estimated 40 women's magazines in the market, about half are targeting the younger set, but only Cleo and local publication Praew Sudsubdha would compete directly with Seventeen. The other local magazines, she says, are broader both in subject matter and targeted advertisers.

What could prove a boost for Seventeen are events - like its launch - to complement general advertising in building up advertiser and reader interest. This could be a very big plus point "depending on the way they create excitement in the market", says Thitiwat Kasemsuk, associate director at Initiative Media.

Publisher Media Transasia is targeting an initial circulation of 90,000, going up to more than 100,000 within the first three months.