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Local stars more bankable

By Kathleen E. McLaughlin ( China Daily ) Updated: 2014-09-09 07:03:27

Local stars more bankable

Chinese fashion and lifestyle magazines increasingly favor local celebrities on cover pages, such as actresses Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing, who help increase sales and circulation. Photo provided to China Daily

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The doe-eyed Fan is a favorite across magazine titles in China. Other editors have different top picks, however, and some are surprising.

For Marie Claire China, actress Zhou Xun, pop diva Wang Fei and film star Zhao Wei are big draws. Deng Li, editorial director and publisher of the magazine, noted that some international celebrities, namely Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie, do draw in Chinese readers. For Femina China magazine, Blake Lively and Miranda Kerr have been big-selling international cover stars.

"But there are some additional conditions with this, such as popularity - at the very least, our urban female readers should be familiar with her face - beauty, a colorful image, and the emotional appeal of the star," says Deng.

For Elle China, the top cover picks are often the same as other titles' but one international cover celebrity showed that Chinese readers do have the same tastes as those in other parts of the world. "In 2013, Elle China did reuse David Beckham's Elle UK cover; it was a sensation, and it sold out," says Xiao Xue, editorial director of Elle China. "The choice of a foreign cover star is very much dependent on its relevancy. For example, does she have a hit movie in China or has she recently won an award, and so forth."

Often, a fusion of Chinese and international style hits a home run with China's magazine readership. Xiao Xue notes the magazine's highly successful March 2012 relaunch, which showcased Chinese model Shu Pei styled by Jean Paul Gaultier.

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