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Autocar rolls into South Korea
The first issue of a monthly local-language edition of Autocar went on sale in South Korea the week of 30 January 2008, giving it “full coverage of Asia’s top motoring markets”.
Seoul-based C2 Media launched the magazine, with a cover price of KRW8,000 (US$8.45), under licence from Haymarket.
The magazine joins local Asian editions of Autocar in Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
Edward Marr, Haymarket’s licensing manager in Asia, said: “Autocar can now offer full coverage of Asia’s top motoring markets.”
“South Korea is an important motoring market,” said Patrick Fuller, Autocar’s publishing director, “with some of the world’s most dynamic manufacturers. Naturally, we are very excited to have a presence there.”
Ju-Sik Choi, Autocar Korea editor-in-chief said, “The Korean automotive market has changed dramatically over the past few years with increased sales of international car brands in addition to a buoyant market for home-grown models.
“This increased choice means consumers are in need of reliable road tests as well as news and features, all of which Autocar Korea can provide.”
Haymarket’s weekly UK edition of Autocar, first published in 1895, now reaches more than 60,000 car buyers.
Worldwide, Autocar has more than one million readers of its 18 international editions and website, autocar.co.uk.
Source: Haymarket Media Group
Motor Presse Stuttgart licenses magazines in Sweden and Bulgaria
 Motor Presse Stuttgart, Germany has licensed two magazine titles to Sweden and Bulgaria.
Sweden will get a licensed edition of MOTORRAD, a joint venture between three partners: the Swedish subsidiary of the Norwegian magazine publisher Hjemmet Mortensen, auto motor und sport Sverige – the Swedish licensee of auto motor und sport – and a partnership of two individuals, Gerry Nordström and Tomas Lofterud. Nordström is editor-in-chief of the Swedish edition of MOTORRAD, and Lofterud the advertising director.
MOTORRAD will be launched on the Swedish market under the original German name. To promote the launch, a personalised copy of the first issue is being mailed free to 150,000 Swedish motorcycle owners. This will familiarise the target group with the new title and gain subscribers. The target circulation is 15,000 paid copies.
In Bulgaria, a licence for the lastauto omnibus magazine by publisher ETM, a partly owned subsidiary of Motor Presse Stuttgart, has been granted to Auto Press Ltd in Sofia, which already publishes the Bulgarian editions of auto motor und sport and Maxi Tuning under licence. lastauto omnibus is to appear monthly and is taking on the Bulgarian market with a superior quality layout and an initial print run of 7,000 copies. Auto Press aims to sell 5,000 of the very special interest title in the first six months.
“With its connections to the international brand network, lastauto omnibus could well succeed in asserting itself very quickly against the existing rival titles in Bulgaria,” said Thomas Mehls, CEO of Motor-Presse International.
lastauto omnibus is now present in ten countries worldwide, although Bulgaria is to receive the first licensed edition. In the other countries the title is published directly by Motor Presse Stuttgart subsidiaries.
Source: Motor-Presse International Verlagsgesellschaft
IDG India launches Windows®World Magazine
 IDG Media Private Limited (IDG India) announced on 31 January 2008 the launch of its latest publication titled Windows®World, India’s first dedicated publication targeting IT Managers working on the Windows® platform. Published once every two months, Windows®World, with a targeted, qualified controlled circulation of 20,000 copies, will provide comprehensive information on the management and deployment of Microsoft operating systems, applications and related topics.
On the occasion of the release of the inaugural issue, IDG media president N. Bringi Dev said, “Our close interaction with the enterprise IT user community revealed a gap in the information needs of IT managers and professionals. With Windows®World we not only close that gap, but set a new benchmark with a truly international publication. Windows®World together with CIO now allows IDG to cover the Indian enterprise IT space comprehensively.”
Speaking at the launch, Neelam Dhawan, managing director Microsoft India said, “This initiative by IDG India is highly commendable. With its high editorial standards and international leverage, we are confident that Windows®World will benefit not only the many users of MicrosoftWindows® based products but the community of IT professionals as a whole.”
Commenting on the editorial focus of Windows®World, IDG media editor‐in‐chief Vijay Ramachandran said; “Our brief was clear; to be an independent and accurate source of information that will better equip IT professionals to manage systems and applications based on the Windows® platform. The magazine features various sections that meet all information needs of IT professionals; product launches, implementation case studies, expert opinion and how‐tos. We have also simultaneously launched the Windows®World website: www.windowsworld.in, a rich repository of supplementary information and resources such as patches, tools and software that every IT professional can use at work.”
Source: IDG
OK! Magazine announces launch in Spain
 Celebrity magazine OK! has announced the formation of its Spanish subsidiary to launch an upcoming Spanish language edition. The new company, OK! Ediciones, is a joint venture between the owner of OK!, Northern & Shell, and one of Spain’s most successful publishing companies, Grupo Zeta.
The Spain edition will be OK!s 16th international edition in just under four years. The new magazine will debut in the spring of 2008.
“Having a Spanish edition has long been an ambition of ours,” said Christian Toksvig, Northern & Shell’s international operations director. “Spain is the original home of celebrity publishing, but most existing titles have an aging and dwindling readership. It’s exciting for us to bring to market an approach that is proven to appeal to younger readers.
“Northern & Shell is delighted to be working with Grupo Zeta in this venture. Zeta has obtained an unprecedented success in this category in 2006 with the launch of Cuore, that has become the third best-selling magazine in Spain, and has the necessary local know-how to help make the OK! launch work,” said Toksvig.
Miguel Ángel Liso, editorial director of Grupo Zeta, said: “We are very satisfied that Northern & Shell has trusted Grupo Zeta to help them in the launch and development of the world’s most successful celebrity magazine in Spain. OK! is a proven concept worldwide and we’re confident it will appeal to Spanish readers and advertisers.”
Grupo Zeta, established since 1976, publishes a dozen daily newspapers and over 40 magazine titles in Spain, notably the newsweekly Tiempo, Interviú and the women’s fashion monthly Woman, Man and Viajar.
OK! Magazine is the world’s biggest celebrity lifestyle magazine, with over 30 million readers worldwide and, with the addition of the Spanish edition, appears in 18 countries (Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Germany, Greece, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Middle East, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK and the US).
Source: Northern & Shell
Beijing publisher relaunches Stuff in China
 A Beijing-based media company recently relaunched gadget magazine Stuff in China under licence from Haymarket.
Edward Marr, Haymarket’s licensing manager in Asia, said: “We are delighted to have Haymarket’s world-leading gadget magazine back on the newsstands in this massive consumer electronics market.”
Chinese mobile phone users bought more than 100 million handsets in 2006 – that’s one tenth of the world’s mobiles – according to the People’s Daily Online.
And by May of that year, according to a Chinese government report, mobile service subscribers had exceeded 420 million.
China’s consumer electronics spree has continued, says the China Centre for Information Industry and Development (CCID) Group – the parent company of Stuff China publisher CCID Media Limited. CCIDnet.com reported that there were 547 million mobile phone subscribers in China by the end of 2007.
Stuff China joins CCID Media’s portfolio of six newspapers and 10 magazines, including China Information World and China Computer Users.
The relaunched magazine has been on newsstands in China for CNY6 (or US$0.83) since January 10, but was officially launched in Beijing on January 25.
CCID Media intends to distribute 290,000 copies per issue.
“Stuff’s been on the market in China since 2002 and in CCID Media we have found a great partner to take it to another level in China. CCID not only has excellent publishing experience but also in-depth market knowledge,” said Marr.
Haymarket’s monthly Stuff magazine, which originated in the UK, now reaches more than one million readers with its 24 international editions.
Source: Haymarket |