On Wednesday 25^th October 2023, Telum Media hosted our first in-person Telum Talks To event in Shanghai, featuring The Economist Global Business Review, the first Chinese digital publication of The Economist.

The event was held in the Xuhui District and supported by our venue partner, The Executive Centre.

During a discussion and subsequent Q&A session, attendees heard exclusive insights from Herbert Wu, Managing Director of The Economist Global Business Review about the publication’s editorial focus and positioning in Mainland China as a foreign media outlet.


Here is a small slice of what Herbert shared at the event:

The Economist

• Launched in 1843, The Economist has been a leader in data analysis and visualisation for 180 years.
• The publication operates core editorial offices in the US, as well as major cities in Asia, continental Europe, and the Middle East.
• The Economist's articles often take a definitive editorial stance and almost never carry a byline. Not even the name of the Editor is printed in the issue.

The Economist Global Business Review

• The Economist Global Business Review is a bilingual publication featuring in-depth articles and trend analysis on business, finance and technology, sourced from The Economist’s pool of original English content.
• The title aims to provide Chinese business leaders with diverse perspectives on global developments in business and technology.
• It is available on The Economist's website, social media and can be accessed via a mobile app which publishes a selection of articles in both English and Chinese.

How the publication started

• The magazine was first launched in 2016 when globalisation was a predominant topic in the news. During this time, audiences in China were increasingly interested in developing the domestic industrial economy and learning from other markets.
• Chinese readers were increasingly interested in the future of economic development and were on the lookout for a publication that explored the global economy as well as industrial trends.
• Chinese companies were also increasingly expanding overseas, and the rest of the world was growing more interested in the region’s economic growth.
• As such, a version of The Economist was brought to China to connect the market with the rest of the world.

Editorial focus

• Traditional foreign media outlets have had different approaches when entering the Chinese market.
• The Economist has selected from its pool of original English content to present to the market in both English and Chinese.
• The publication’s three main focuses include business, finance and economics, and technology.
• The team publishes two business management columns, Bartleby and Schumpeter, which are targeted at C-suite audiences.
• The Economist is less interested in nailing a “scoop” and more focused on reframing and analysing issues in a retrospective, reflective fashion.
• The team anchors its coverage to issues around industrial trends, macroeconomics and economic development.

Readership

• Geographic audience: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the US, the UK, and Japan.
• More than 92 per cent of readers are from Mainland China. Hong Kong ranks second.
• 44 per cent of readers come from middle to senior management positions as well as C-suite leadership.
• 40 per cent of readers have obtained overseas qualifications.

Innovation

• Aside from its editorial offering, The Economist has launched a livestream programme, which invites global CEOs to discuss cutting-edge opinions and topics from both a domestic and global perspective. Updates from this series will first premiere on the publication’s WeChat video channel (ID: TheEconomistGroup).
• The team is also exploring the creation of a podcast channel in the local market.

Pitching tips

• WeChat is a great way to boost your communications efforts.
• Don’t rush to talk up or sell your company and brand. Instead, familiarise yourself with the publication’s overall coverage of macroeconomic policies and industrial trends and provide relevant insights from your industry.
• It is essential to make continuous efforts to maintain your media relations.
• Balance the giving and receiving while offering valuable information and insights.

Trending topics to keep an eye on

• Geopolitical conflicts and developments.
• Changes in global supply chains.
• Organisational and personal growth.
• ESG, climate change, and economic inequality.
• The influence of technology on corporates and industries at large.