‘Men’s Fitness’ magazine ceases publication in Thailand while ‘L’Optimum’ to be revamped

Les Editions Jalou, the publisher of L’Optimum, recently renamed the magazine “L’Officiel Hommes”, starting with the February 2018 edition. Meanwhile, American Media Inc, the publisher of Men’s Fitness, is ceasing worldwide publication of the magazine, making the December 2017 edition of Men’s Fitness Thailand the last copy. 
Pornvipa Thientanavanich, vice president digital, Mass Connect, said that the renaming of “L’Optimum” to “L’Officiel Hommes” coincides with the revamp of the magazine’s content and appearance to make it more enticing. 
She said the content would “remain rich, reflecting the French edition of L’Officiel Hommes which caters to trendy and daring-to-choose men”. Mass Group’s team is prepared to work harder to render readers the best content, to satisfy their expectation, she said. 
Readers will be thrilled with a new layout, content and new fashion concepts, Pornvipa said. L’Officiel Hommes, which sells 156,000 copies a month, will hit bookshelves on the fifth of each month.
Mass Connect will cease the publication of Men’s Fitness Thailand as the licensor, American Media Inc, issued a global decision to shut down the magazine, Pornvipa said. 
Mass Connect was awarded the licence to publish the Thai version of Men’s Fitness in May 2017, and was received warmly by Thai readers and advertisers throughout the past 8 months. However, the December edition will be the last copy. 
Pornvipa noted that from now on all online channels would be deployed to reach a wider group of readers and facilitate marketing activities in the digital age. 
“Mass Group has laid emphasis on producing all types of media, to create diverse platforms for our brand. We embarked on online media when it was in the nascent stage. We’ve learned what kind of content fits which online medium, be they websites, Facebook or IG. We need to admit the growth potential of online media, as online advertisement spending has hit Bt1.73 billion. Spending through YouTube and Facebook was as high as Bt9.9 billion. In 2017, the combined value of online media business was Bt2.812 billion, a 9.86-per-cent increase from the previous year.”
As consumers’ media consumption behaviour changes, speed and accuracy count aside from brand building. A specialised team is thus required to create effective contents and reach target groups in the most effective manner, she said. 
“The millennials don’t care what is advertisement and given their open-mindedness, they pursue facts. Nevertheless, our posts must be enticing. Given the different nature of online and print media consumption, we need concise and enticing content. When the online version of “Men’s Fitness” was unveiled before the actual publication, we succeeded in creating awareness and witnessed an overwhelming response. 
“Six months after its launch in Thailand in 2012, “L’Officiel” went online, boosting the first year’s revenue to 50 per cent against our 10-20 per cent target. In the second year, the revenue expanded 10-20 per cent. Whenever we launch a new magazine, growth rate has been as high as 1,000 fold. In 2018, our revenue growth target is set at 20-25 per cent,” Pornvipa said.
Regarding competition, she said: “Many believe the online media business need not be purely online. Both print and online versions can be deployed aside from KOL [Key Opinion Leader], an emerging communications trend that communicate with target groups through celebrities and opinion leaders in various fields. Looking to the future, though online channels will be the priority for our products that include VDO contents, eventually we still need support from print media.” 
Despite continued growth of the online media business, Pornvipa cautioned that one must not blindly follow others’ footsteps. In this regard, Mass Group has accumulated online data and statistics for the past 6 years, which makes it confident about proceeding with new projects. 
“To create a good brand, we need a good leader with knowledge of diverse brands. This will help us win consumer trust. ‘L’Officiel’ is a brand that discusses others’ lives. But before we do that, we must know ourselves,” she said. 
“For a successful result, our online media business must build trust, understand our brands and effectively communicate with consumers,” she added.
L’Officiel Paris has been in existence for nearly 100 years, rolling out without any interruption even during World War II. On top of a monthly magazine, L’Officiel publishes special magazines every two months for particular segments like L’Officiel Wedding, L’Officiel Watches and Jewellery and L’Officiel Art, Design and Decors.