How Forbes plans to build its Asian editorial operation

Lewis Dvorkin, the chief product officer at Forbes, writes about how the business magazine aims to build its editorial presence in Asia.

Dvorkin writes, “Of course, we already have contributors in the region. Eighty or so active writers cover a range of topics, or swim lanes as we call them. That compares with around 1,700 in the U.S. and 100 in Europe. What’s new is our ambitious plan to build a robust digital editorial operation in Hong Kong, including editors, producers, reporters, a social media team and more — that is, the kind of newsroom that drove our domestic multi-platform audience to 38 million (as measured by comScore), more than triple what it was in 2010. Now, we look to Asia to propel our total international audience well beyond its current 12 million.

“It’s more natural than ever for us to expand in Asia. Fifteen months ago, FORBES was purchased by a small group of Asian investors in Hong Kong that believes deeply in our 98-year-old brand and vision. A bigger presence in the region is consistent with their plans to extend the FORBES name into real estate and other areas. It also makes sense given the region’s growing entrepreneurial spirit (see the chart below from Future Asia Ventures), which lies at the core of the FORBES mission of chronicling doers and their doings, as our founder, B.C. Forbes, would say.”

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