The recent disappearance of women's glossies, including local titles such as Priew, Volume and Image as well as international franchises InStyle and Cosmopolitan, seems rather sudden yet not surprising.
Due to declining readership and the loss in advertising revenue, among other economic factors, the closure of the women's magazines seems to follow a domino effect.
Pessimists have also predicted the death of print in the digital era. Survival requires more than reformatting content into an electronic version and redefining business strategies, with Thai publishers struggling to stay in the game.
Long-established titles include the 61-year-old Sakulthai and the 40-something Kwanruen and Kullastree, the latter two handled by heirs of Srisiam Printing Press and Bawonsan Printing Company.
Amid the crisis facing the women's magazine industry, Life talks to this new generation of publishers about the digital transition and how they'll continue to produce the traditional paper format as an engaging read on the magazine rack.
It's a family affair
Just because Kwanruen will turn 48 this October doesn't mean the compact-sized magazine caters to readers of the same age.
Kwanruen executive editor Satida Klongvessa.
Acknowledging people's perception that the glossy serves an older generation, executive editor Satida Klongvessa plans to further modernise its image and content after having taken over the position this year.
"Kwanruen is for people of all ages. It serves the whole family. When you have a copy at home, it's a good read for everyone, including kids, who have their own section," the sprightly Satida said.
Her father named the bimonthly magazine, published by Srisiam Printing Press, of which Satida also holds the marketing director position. Her aunt was the editor, whereas her mother oversaw the fashion section.
Today, the three have taken a back seat as the ebullient Satida steers the family business through the turbulence in the publishing industry due to the convenience of e-reading platforms, particularly via digital devices.
The executive editor is not deterred by the digitalisation or the impact of social media, as Kwanruen has kept up with the fast-paced information technology in providing an e-book version as well as engaging in multiple networking platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Nevertheless, Kwanruen's printed copies remain the core business as Satida believes in readers' attachment to paper and physically turning instead of scrolling the pages.
"Even though there's an e-book, people may still print out the pages, which are not as nice to read as a bound copy," she noted.
The publishing house recently participated in the 44th National Book Fair & Bangkok International Book Fair 2016, held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. This doubled Kwanruen's subscribers -- solid proof that people still want to read the hard copies.
"My parents taught me that a magazine will last when they are made for reading, not just for looking, say, at the pictures. Some people may ask, 'Why are there so many pages with lots of text?'. That's because, loaded with interesting content, Kwanruen is meant for the pleasure of reading, from the first to the very last page," she said.
Despite being in the digital age, she observed that a large number of the younger generation are still bookworms as they flock to the national book fair each year.
"The popularity of pocket books and novels affirms that people, including youngsters, still want to read hard copies. Likewise, our readers may prefer Kwanruen's paper format, which can be kept as a collectable. The challenge is to keep on creating better content than what's commonly available, to continuously keep our fans happy and attract new readers.''
The executive editor dedicates 40% of the magazine to novels -- a key element that's kept Kwanruen a household name over 48 years.
"Once reading them, you can become addicted to the novels and cannot miss a copy of our magazine,'' she added
In addition, the handicraft and crochet with patterns boasting contemporary designs also appeal to female readers. The other content updates modern women on fashion, health and beauty trends, as well cooking recipes, as if it were a "good friend", as described by Satida.
"We have developed a strong bond with our readers, who can join the Kwanruen Club and its activities, such as make-up, meditation and yoga classes," she said. "This allows us to better know and understand our readers, who are all members of the Kwanruen family."
Satida grew up seeing her parents and aunt working in publishing, but they suggested she study accounting and business administration, important for the growth of Srisiam Printing Press.
After completing a master's at the University of North Carolina, she reaped experience in accounting and finance prior to helping her parents run the publishing house, located in Bangkok's Din Daeng.
"When I was an accounting auditor, that wasn't me at all," she said. "My passion is for publishing. However, I keep in mind how important it is to be a superior content producer rather than merely being a magazine publisher. This will keep Kwanruen going strong in the digital age."
-- Kanokporn Chanasongkram
A long-standing tradition tweaks itself
Celebrating its 46th anniversary with the 1,090th issue this June, Kullastree magazine is a familiar name among the Thai masses.
The archaic, small-sized women's magazine known for its short stories, cross-stitch patterns, and cooking recipes has always been regarded as a publication read by our mother's or grandmother's generation, placed on the bottom, unseen corner of magazine stalls.
Kullastree editor-in-chief Wisarut Songsermsawad. Photos courtesy of Wisarut Songsermsawad
It's a pleasant surprise, then, especially in the industry's unstable climate, that the bimonthly has now reached a wider audience, with much praise and success, all thanks to the appointment of the family-run business's third-generation editor-in-chief Wisarut Songsermsawad.
It was in June 2011, the 41st anniversary of Kullastree, when the then-26-year-old editor-in-chief unveiled the magazine's new and improved look. Now, Kullastree stands out for its aesthetically pleasing cover photos, modern layout and typography, beautiful photo shoots and interesting feature articles on women and women's issues. It's now placed at the top of magazine stalls next to international publications, with its core aspects keeping Kullastree's tradition intact.
Working as the art director for Kullastree right after graduating from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang's architecture programme, Wisarut had the idea two years into the job to reduce the target audience from women in their 40s to modern working women in their 30s.
"I had an idea to change the gimmicks to be more contemporary," he said while sitting in the Kullastree office in Ram Intra. "To have the fashion shoots be more modern. Our stories, cooking recipes and DIY crafts were another main priority. We adjusted them to be a bit more contemporary. For example, with our stories, we brought young writers into the mix, and the DIY crafts were more current so the younger generations can understand them more."
Readers, however, didn't initially recognise the change, as the magazine remained the same small size, prompting Wisarut to create a mock-up in standard journal size, eventually presenting it to the company seniors. Finding the idea interesting, they decided to make the change and appoint Wisarut to become the new editor-in-chief.
Reluctantly accepting the job, as a tall, burly man with no clue about women's lifestyle or issues, Wisarut -- with a lot of research, help and questionnaires -- has managed to turn the old-fashioned magazine into something that's simultaneously high-end but accessible to the masses.
"Companies that have never advertised with us before were buying more pages," he said. "Before, our image was that of an old-fashioned, small magazine, but now that we've changed the look and increased the size, people are willing to advertise with us, which has been encouraging."
Though having been successful so far, the plummeting print industry hasn't left Kullastree unaffected. Asked if the publication is doing well, the 31-year-old simply answers: "It's not that great."
What has helped Kullastree survive, apart from magazine sales, advertisements and organising events, is that they are part of Bawonsan Printing Company Limited -- a printing-press factory.
"It helps us save costs. And with a printing factory, we accept outside jobs, so it helps out. If you're asking if the magazine is doing well, all magazines aren't doing that great. We can't stay stagnant. We can't just depend on sales and ads. We try to do this and that in between, and we also have to do digital in parallel with the physical magazine."
Wisarut, though wary of the industry's rapid decrease, is still optimistic that magazines won't disappear completely. Print, for Kullastree, is still doing much better than its digital counterpart. But again, there needs to be a plan B for the future.
"Kullastree has to be more than a magazine," he says. "It has to be a brand. We have to make people understand that we're a brand, so we'll be able to open more doors in order to have a product line or something along those lines. Magazines won't disappear; they'll stay. But in what form, we'll have to see. We're a small, independent publication, but the bigger publications will have their own paths that they'll follow."
-- Apipar Norapoompipat
