Media giant The New York Times has last week (June 29th 2012) launched a version of its website in Chinese, to tap into the rapidly growing numbers of internet users in the country.
It is a move which will target the “educated (and) affluent” of China’s middle class – a fast growing population in the major cities.
It follows similar moves by other media portals, all eager to attract visits from the 500 million plus internet users in China. Growing everyday, the potential for those getting things right is vast.
Many other companies are recognising the importance of communicating online in Chinese too.
A result of this has seen the rapid rise of Chinese speakers to fill SEO jobs, as the global marketplace becomes achievable for all businesses.
It is perhaps surprising that many companies in Merseyside are now speaking in Mandarin, but that’s progress for you, and something replicated throughout the UK.
The key market for the NY Times will be in advertising revenue – with this leaping by more than 80% in the last year in China. Luxury brands and aspirational names are the key leaders here, with websites of all forms attracting their advertising for their Chinese websites.
The venture is not without its problems though. Shortly after the launch, NY Times accounts on three of China’s social media platforms were suspended.
The paper has said it will not veer from its journalistic ideals because of the state’s strict controls over online content though.
Many businesses will hope that market saturation will force the relaxing of the censorship too.
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