Chinese speaking children and adults can now discover fascinating facts on science, technology and the wonders of the modern world, as Imagine Publishing brings its flagship title How It Works (HIW) to Taiwan.
The launch is HIW’s first footstep into Asia, bringing the total number of countries in which HIW is published to 13, and opening up one of the world’s most successful general knowledge titles to more people globally and to a relatively untapped and lucrative territory for western education titles.
According to the publishers, 2.4 million people worldwide have purchased HIW to date, to read online, on devices and in print. Imagine has identified demand for a title that could feed curious minds amongst Taiwan’s middle class. Taiwanese parents save 19 percent of their annual household income for their children's education, the most among the nations of the Asia-Pacific region. Imagine will use Taiwan as a test bed from which to consider launching editions in mainland China and Asia.
Imagine knew that success in the region would be dependent upon the ability to develop local partnerships with publishers and distributors that understand how the market operates. With the recent appointment of James Hanbury as Chairman, the Bournemouth-based business has brought on board an industry heavyweight with experience of launching publications into Asia during his time as Co-Founder and Group Managing Director at Incisive Media.
Damian Butt, Group Managing Director explained the expansion, “In the last five years we have seen a growing need amongst parents, both in the UK and abroad, to provide their children with additional educational stimulus; stimulus that meets the need for a child to be entertained as well as informed. Asian parents are particularly active in safeguarding their children’s academic potential. It has been reported that East Asian families are spending more and more of their disposable income on securing their children the best possible education, which is why I am extremely pleased to with this new Taiwanese licence and proud to see the cover of How It Works in Chinese. At the same time, translating the magazine into this dialogue creates the perfect springboard to future launch into mainland China.”
Butt believes the surge in consumer demand is partly in response to the need for adult self-improvement and partly due to parents searching for an alternative to the internet, which can be an unsafe environment for children.
He said, “Magazines like How It Works equip parents with the means to answer their own and their children’s questions without having to wade through pages of text or Google. We’ve noticed a growing parental concern that the Internet is becoming increasingly unsafe for children and unreliable as a research tool. Our knowledge titles are taking advantage of this thirst for facts by delivering knowledge in a way that’s entertaining, trustworthy and safe.”
HIW was created by acknowledged science and technology experts and the magazine explores the ‘why and how’ of the world which we live in; turning complex, timeless topics into accessible entertainment through expert explanations and breath-taking images, says Imagine.
