OLD Media Moves

Forbes plans to launch local versions of its web site

March 22, 2007

Posted by Chris Roush

BusinessWeek’s Steve Baker attended the Folio Publishing Summit in Chicago earlier this week and heard Forbes.com CEO Jim Spanfeller speak about its future growth plans.

Jim SpanfellerBaker wrote that the web site is pushing forward with an aggressive growth strategy that includes:

  • Within the next 18-24 months, Forbes.com plans to launch local-language editions in German, Russian and Chinese. They will have some local content, and a number of translated stories. But they hope that many of the readers, as they drill down, will access Forbes’ English-language offerings. The idea is that for many people in the world, English is a less comfortable but viable option. The first test of this strategy is Forbes.com’s Polish site.
  • Forbes.com is also planning local editions of the site, perhaps for cities such as New York, Chicago, and L.A.
  • Forbes.com “woke three years ago up to the fact” that they were the leading business site in Europe, despite very little investment in European content. Today, Spamfeller says, Forbes.com is three times bigger than the FT.com in Europe, and even larger in the UK.

Read more here.

Subscribe to TBN

Receive updates about new stories in the industry daily or weekly.

Subscribe to TBN

Receive updates about new stories in the industry.