destination: mongolia THE LONG ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE


Chinggis (Genghis) Khan unified the Mongol tribes in 1206, founding the great Mongol empire – the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world which at its peak covered much of present day China and Central Asia and extended southward into Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East.


In 1911, Mongolia declared independence after more than 200 years of foreign rule – Manchus in China. After the Russian revolution they fell under the Chinese influence again then accepted Russian aid in 1921 to reclaim independence.


Mongolian People’s Republic formed under a communist government, which operated as a client state of the Soviet Union. Mongolia’s nominal independence was maintained and bolstered by its value to Moscow as a


buffer state between the Soviet Union and China, and as a major base for Soviet military forces.


With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of Soviet aid and the withdrawal of Soviet troops, Mongolia achieved a sudden and somewhat unexpected independence in 1990.


population of less than three million. Although, the advertising spend of


many companies has decreased, the market still remains strong, especially amongst TV and magazines.


Magazine market Just three or four years ago, producing magazines in Mongolia was a very risky business. Numerous magazines emerged and then disappeared after producing just a few issues due to a lack of finances to continue production. However, the magazine market still


country to publish Cosmopolitan magazine in December 2010. This became a turning point for Mongolian news media. Irmuun Media LLC acquired the rights to publish this magazine and, based on this success, the company also acquired rights to publish National Geographic, National Geographic Kids, and Traveler magazines. It has been several years since Playboy, GEO, and Mercedes Benz magazines appeared in Mongolia and we’re expecting new titles, including Forbes, World Soccer and Hello soon. As for OK! Mongolia, it took three years for Amin Media Group to acquire


expanded rapidly and by 2007 there were 77 officially registered magazines. Famous international magazines also began to publish in Mongolia and we became the 61st


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National Geographic has a strong presence in Mongolia, with three extensions of its titles


Mongolia: at a glance


GDP Per Capita (PPP): $5,900 (2013, est. CIA)


Population: 2.796 million (World Bank)


Capital: Ulaanbaatar


Language: Mongolian


Government: Semi-presidential parliamentary republic


the Mongolian publishing rights and the contract was finalised during a visit to London in November last year. The first issue was published in December 2013 and since then we’ve published six issues and 30,000 copies. Because many people had read this magazine elsewhere in the world, it didn’t require any initial advertising. Amin Media Group is going to introduce


The magazine market in Mongolia has escalated since 2007


UK’s World Soccer for Mongolians very soon. According to publication figures, its sales exceed those of similar magazines. The people who have been invited for interviews in the magazine have responded very positively and considered it a matter of honour. OK! brought several new innovations to the Mongolian magazine industry. First of all, all news, interviews and photos are officially licensed. Although this is nothing new for western countries, in the past much of the Mongolian news


fipp.com


The average advertising rate for one page in a magazine is US$1,000 – an enormous figure for Mongolians


media has used plagiarised interviews and news stories and unlicensed photos. OK! magazine made a breakthrough by


providing accurate news coverage about international celebrities and stars and their lifestyles without any falsehoods or misinformation. No domestic newspaper or magazine has brought international content and Mongolian content and put them together in the same way before. In addition to the famous international magazines, domestic magazines already have their own audience and readership. Specifically, magazines with weekly TV programmes and social focus have good sales. Several tabloid magazines are still successfully operating too. The average advertising rate for one page in a Mongolian magazine is US$1,000 – an enormous figure for Mongolians, who have only had a free news media for about 20 years.


Room for development The most popular topics for Mongolian magazines are cosmetics, women and gossip so there is still room for new categories. There is also a lack of qualified professional journalists, editors, designers and photographers, which affects the quality of content and design. Also most advertisers are increasingly selecting TV over magazines based on the perceived higher reach frequency. This shows that widely known research about the importance and impact of magazines for advertisers is still lacking. This is an area for magazines to conquer.


Bayarmagnai Puntsag is chairman of Amin Media Group, chairman of the National Press Club of Mongolia and vice president of Mongolian Sports Press Union. Additional contributions from Bayarsaikhan Baljinnyam, president of Amin Media Group (right).


issue 82_2014 | Magazine World |41


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