June 15, 2007
Interview

PR Interview: Contribute to China Trade Monthly Magazine

SUMMARY: In the past 10 years, China has enjoyed economic freedom and has become a powerhouse in the global market. So it's a good time for a new magazine to debut to tell us how to do business with the country.

China Trade offers comprehensive advice on industries, including manufacturing, logistics, retail, hospitality and information technology. See how to be included in this monthly magazine, which covers what business leaders are getting done in this emerging market and how they're doing it.
Contact information
Barbara Perkins
Managing Editor
China Trade magazine
100 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1020
Miami, FL 33131
786-472-9088
bperkins(at)chinatrademag(dot)com
http://www.chinatrademag.com

Background
Perkins is originally from New England, but she has been living in Miami for the past three years. She became managing editor of China Trade in January, when the publication launched.

Circulation & readership
Total circulation: 88,000 (74,000 US, 9,000 Europe and Canada, and 5,000 China). The magazine targets senior-level executives of corporations of all sizes.

What these readers have in common is their interest in doing business in or with China. “They are well-educated and well-read, and expect intelligent, insightful writing,” Perkins says.

Now that China’s middle class is expanding, its consumers have a desire to sample the delights of the Western world. Readers are looking for insight into how to conduct business in and with this relatively unknown country

Besides seeking information on cultural differences, readers can take advantage of political, regulatory and legal coverage that each issue provides.

Examples of editorial coverage
The magazine covers all of the important industries in relation to China. Readers can get insider notes on marketplace’s innovations and key players. The content centers on stories that highlight successes and failures of Western multinationals that source and supply goods or services from and to China. Each story is written from the point of view of the executive in charge of carrying out the tactics.

In addition, the magazine is interested in featuring Chinese companies that would like to reach Western markets.

Specific sections
o Portfolio: short briefs on developing business deals
o China Index: sharts on the economy
o Bulletin Board: facts on China
o Ideas & Innovations: emerging practices and products
o Trade Trends: expert interviews
o Strategies: executive tactics in industries, such as shipping, manufacturing and retail
o Features: critical industry sectors reports, leader profiles
o Marketplace: Indicators: statistics indicating economy’s direction
o Personal Business: art, weekend plans, restaurant and book reviews
o Perspectives: public sector, private sector and academia views

Web site
Their Web site is informative and colorful. Flash animation underscores the magazine’s emphasis on the latest technology and photography.

You can download their media kit at:
http://www.chinatrademag.com and click on "media kit" in the nav bar.

Also online, you can check out their partners and advertisers and read past issues.

How to pitch
The best pitch is the one that highlights American businesses succeeding at collaboration with China. For instance, a story on a US manufacturing company operating in China is definitely a pitch Perkins would be interested in seeing.

One piece of advice -- make sure your stories can be backed up with hard data; Perkins is looking for specific numbers.

Contribute to China Trade
If you want to send articles, make sure they are multisourced, with at least one outside voice that could be an industry expert, a competitor or an ally.

Perkins suggests that contributions fit into one of the following four categories:
- short item (75-100 words)
- strategy/interview (650-700 words)
- small feature (1,200-1,500 words)
- large feature (2,500-3,000 words)

The magazine will reimburse contributors for each submission; fees depends on the length of the piece.

China Trade’s style
The magazine resembles publications that analyze, not simply report, the news. China Trade is interested in finding out why certain business practices are successful and how others could emulate them.

“In terms of style, it is closer to Forbes than to BusinessWeek," Perkins says. "Rather than breaking news, it seeks to go deeper into companies that represent larger trends, profiling their leaders and examining their strategies as well as their successes and their failures.”

Press Kits
You can send them, but we can’t guarantee that they will get read.

Meet Perkins and other editors
Yes, Perkins is open to having lunch with sources.


Improve Your Marketing

Join our thousands of weekly case study readers.

Enter your email below to receive MarketingSherpa news, updates, and promotions:

Note: Already a subscriber? Want to add a subscription?
Click Here to Manage Subscriptions