Glossy, glamorous and a familiar sight on newsagents' shelves across Europe for decades, consumer magazines are now catching the imagination of Chinese across the mainland.

Hachette Filipacchi, one of the world's largest publishers of consumer magazines, with over 250 titles spread over 37 countries, has taken a high-profile role in bringing the glossy magazine formula to China's ever-richer city dwellers.

Even the vast cultural differences between Europe and China have not dampened the appeal of these magazines amongst the mainland public, says Pierre Victor Visot, Hachette Filipacchi's chief executive officer - Greater China, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Some of the publisher's best-known titles available on the mainland include women's magazines Elle and Marie Claire - the former focusing on world fashion and beauty whilst the latter addressing more serious women's issues.

"One reason why the concept has been so successful is that the magazines have included universal issues for women. Our magazines both reflect and influence society. If you do not reflect society to some extent, you will not be successful," Visot says.

The company, part of the French conglomerate Lagadere, first set up a presence on the mainland back in 1987, launching the first Chinese version of Elle in 1988.

"We decided to invest back then to prepare for a future landing," says Visot.

Nowadays, Hachette Filipacchi has six magazines on the mainland including, Elle, Elle Decoration, Car & Driver, Woman's Day and Marie Claire, plus other custom publications.

"In the big three cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, our magazines have more than 50 per cent of the market for women's consumer magazines and are available in 170 to 250 cities depending on the magazine.

"In terms of market share, by number of pages, Elle is number two, but in terms of advertising value it is number one on the mainland in the fashion and beauty sector," Visot says, noting that Vingt-cinq Ans, a quarterly magazine, has also just been launched there.

Although starting from a lower base point, the growth of the market on the mainland for such magazines is much faster than anywhere else in the world. And the growth in magazine advertising has risen by as much as a third every year since 1984.

Officially, there are 8,000 to 9,000 publishing houses in the PRC, although the government has started to reorganize the industry by cutting the mandatory subscription system.

Under the terms of China's entry to the WTO, control over distribution has also been eased.

Launching new titles, however, remains a challenge. Hachette Filipacchi's marketshare in the fashion and beauty magazine sector is strong, but there are other fields that have yet to be developed, including other categories like science, men's magazines, travel and health.

"We would like to have 15 magazines in the Chinese market, but we are limited by licencing procedures, which can be a long and complex process on the mainland and are another difficulty," says Visot.

"Our intention is to have two more co-operation agreements to launch another two magazines every year in China."

Since 2001, Hachette Filipacchi has also been helping the development of the local publishing industry on the mainland by organizing a series of conferences for mainland publication houses in co-operation with the General Administration for Press and Publications (GAPP). Every year, between 80 and 150 Chinese publishers attend.

"These contacts between the French and Chinese sides enable both to learn, although the Chinese are different from their counterparts in the EU in that they are so willing to learn," says Visot.

For both local and foreign publishers alike, the line between success and failure is a fine one.

Care needs to be taken since competition is fierce, he says, with international titles like Cosmopolitan being the company's main rivals. However, local magazines are also growing in sophistication may eventually pose a threat.

"Every magazine should have 'flow' and 'rhythm'," says Visot. "Without flow, people will lose interest in it. There are many examples of magazines that do very well for five or six years and then die."

With over 30,000 magazines introduced into China in 2002, some of them are bound to hit on the right formula. Whilst few of these titles have the same resources at their disposal as that of an international giant like Hachette Filipacchi, to maintain a competitive edge still requires all players to keep a finger on the pulse of Chinese society and pay close attention to social trends sweeping the nation.

"The speed of change in China is much faster than in other markets," says Visot. "Fifteen years is not a long time for cultural values to change, but I believe that we are seeing a reflection of a new style of life in China, perhaps a change from collective values to more personal values. We need to monitor them, so at least once per year we conduct an in-depth survey focusing on what will be the new trends."

Localized content is the key to a successful magazine, so whilst the core concept for Elle may be the same in 37 countries, the actual content will differ. Editorial control is also left to respective editors, thus ensuring each magazine retains its individuality. Hachette Filipacchi magazines will normally have an average of 70 per cent local content.

"Of course all our magazines enjoy support from our network, and editors can see exactly what is going in (an issue) and which topics are being covered in other countries, but the Hachette Filipacchi philosophy is that each magazine is standalone," he says.

Furthermore, China's sheer size and diversity means regional editions, not just national editions, are likely to become the norm in the near future.

"In time, regional magazines will become more important as the market matures. In Europe, the UK issue for Marie Claire might be different from that in France or the US. Localization could come very soon - it is already there for some of the Chinese magazines."

As advertising drives publications, part of the success of consumer magazines can be attributed to the inroads brands have made in the China market over recent years, says Visot. But he also notes the important role magazines play in supporting brand development.

"Before there is a market for magazines there has to be a market already in place," he says. "You need brands like L'Oreal, Estee Lauder or LVMH to be present. People involved in the luxury goods industry tell me magazines are the best way to create or support a brand. So the press is the key factor in developing (the market for) luxury goods."

In a sign of the times, local fashion labels are also beginning to advertise in women's magazines. Although not yet comparable to European brands, they are nonetheless building a market presence.

"In three years we will see a lot of changes in the advertising mix. Right now the proportion of local advertising is small - at around 30 per cent - but it is growing," explains Visot.

Cultural influences run both ways. Match en Chine, published in France two to three times a year for the last five years, has proved a success, with French consumers picking up on social trends and fashions in China. "Chinese trends have been extremely successful over the last few years," he says.

(HK Edition 12/20/2004 page17)