SCMP Hearst Hong Kong Limited to publish ELLE magazine

Hong Kong, June 19, 2012 – SCMP Group Ltd (SEHK:583) and Hearst Magazines International, a unit of Hearst Corporation, today announced the formation of joint venture company, SCMP Hearst Hong Kong Ltd to publish ELLE and related titles, its website, the Car and Driver website, as well as taking on further custom publishing business from 3rd July 2012.

This move further reinforces the longstanding relationship SCMP Group Ltd has with its joint venture partner Hearst Corporation. The two companies began their publishing venture in Hong Kong with the launch of the Hong Kong edition of Cosmopolitan in 1984, followed by Harper’s Bazaar in 1988, and CosmoGIRL! in 2001. The three titles have now become Hong Kong’s leading women’s magazines in respective market segments.

ELLE, a brand owned by Lagardere Active, is the world’s largest fashion magazine brand with 43 international editions reaching over 21 million people across the globe from the UK to the USA, Europe to Africa, South America, Russia, Asia and the Middle East.

Adding ELLE to its magazine portfolio ensures that SCMP Hearst will cement its position as the premier publisher of quality international lifestyle publications in Hong Kong.

Duncan Edwards, president and CEO of Hearst Magazines International, said, “Through our partnership with SCMP, we are already publishing a very successful edition of Cosmopolitan and we’re confident that this move will take ELLE in Hong Kong to even greater success than before.”

Josephine Chan, director for SCMP Magazines Publishing Ltd added, “It’s a very natural fit for us to welcome ELLE into our portfolio of magazine titles. We’ve enjoyed a great partnership with Hearst over the years, and our existing titles continue to grow from strength to strength, both in print and digital. We have a dedicated team that knows the fashion, beauty and style market in Hong Kong better than anyone, and they’re all excited to be able to both leverage and grow their expertise with ELLE.”

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About The SCMP Group

SCMP Group Limited (SEHK: 583) is a leading newspaper and magazine publisher in Asia. Its flagship publication, South China Morning Post, is Hong Kong’s world renowned English language newspaper and has the city’s most affluent and influential readership. First published in 1903, the newspaper has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Available in print, iPad™ and online through scmp.com and e-reader editions, South China Morning Post reaches a global audience with daily breaking news, insightful analysis and opinion, multimedia articles and interactive forums. Striving to maintain the highest standards among the world’s quality newspapers, the South China Morning Post receives constant international recognition. It received 55 awards in 2011 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capability. Other publication titles of the Group include the Sunday Morning Post, Luxehomes, Classified Post, JiuJik, smartjob.com, the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and CosmoGirl! magazines. For more information, please visit us at www.scmpgroup.com.

About Lagardère Active

Lagardère Active is one of Lagardère SCA’s four corporate branches, together with Lagardère Publishing (books), Lagardère Services (press distribution and services) and Lagardère Unlimited (marketing and management of sports broadcast rights, talent representation for athletes and artists). Creator of multimedia content, Lagardère Active has leading positions in the businesses it operates, including magazines publishing, audio-visual (radio, TV and TV production), digital (pure players sites, mobile applications and tablet applications) and advertising.Lagardere Active, the number one of French Magazine Publisher and owner of the ELLE brand and its derivatives, licenses them:
– To Hearst in 14 countries (corresponding to 15 editions of ELLE).
– To 26 other partners (corresponding to 27 editions of ELLE).
The ELLE network today includes 43 international editions and the ELLE Decoration network includes 25 international editions.

About Hearst Magazines International

As the largest U.S. publisher of magazines worldwide, Hearst Magazines International, a unit of Hearst Corporation, publishes more than 300 editions for distribution in more than 100 countries. Major titles include powerful brand equities like Cosmopolitan and ELLE, both international super-brands with more editions than any other women’s magazines in the world; ELLE DECOR, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s BAZAAR, Popular Mechanics, and Seventeen. In addition, Hearst Magazines International publishes other titles through joint ventures, including Men’s Health and Runner’s World in the U.K., Grazia and Madison in Australia, and The Robb Report in Russia and China. In Great Britain, a wholly-owned subsidiary, Hearst Magazines UK, publishes 24 magazines and 22 websites. Hearst Magazines publishes 20 titles in the U.S.

For enquiries please contact:

Media Enquiries:
Director of Marketing
Anne Wong
communications@scmp.com