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We have been communicating with the resident expat community for almost 18 years, longer than any other company. During that time we have gained many insights into their lifestyles, interests, and concerns. As the only publication offering all expats a free subscription during their stay in Malaysia, as well as organizing many events, we are able to interact with expats on a regular basis.
Over the years, we have carried out dozens of surveys of expats on a diverse range of topics including how they spend their weekends, what they like (and don’t like) about living in Malaysia, and their views on corruption.
The Expat magazine is different from many other publications because it is very much based on what expats tell us they would like to read. We do periodic research to makes sure that we keep doing this effectively and we always welcome letters giving us feedback on how we are doing.
Our recent readership survey revealed that while readers continue to give us a high rating for meeting their needs, there was one area where we were falling short. Expats wanted more travel-related stories about Malaysia and the region. As a result, this month we are introducing a new section which we are calling Expat Excursions. It will be an expanded section on travel covering Malaysia and surrounding countries.
This month we turn our regional focus to Thailand, particularly two popular destinations there, Koh Samui and Phuket. In fact, Phuket is one of the cheapest overseas destinations to visit from Malaysia, with round trip air fares starting at around RM400 (and even less during promotions). The island has been a firm favourite of many expats in Asia for the last 30 years and now attracts people from around the globe. Koh Samui is also a beautiful island, but gained international recognition more recently and is consequently quieter and less developed.
At The Expat Group, sending out The Expat magazine free of charge to expats has been our policy since we began publishing it in 1996, even though rising postage costs have sometimes made us consider other options. In order to better manage the cost, we use bulk mail which has lower rates, but sometimes results in slower delivery.
Some expats understandably prefer to get the magazine earlier, so we are now offering this option for a small annual fee. This means the magazine will be mailed out by first-class post as soon as we receive it. This avoids all the sorting and other preparation required for bulk mail and the slower processing by Pos Malaysia. The annual fee for this upgraded service is only RM24 – just the postage cost. The magazine will continue to be free of charge. Details of this offering can be found on page 107 for those who are interested. Please also note that in future, we will only be able to send replacement magazines for those which are lost in the mail to subscribers who are paying us for first-class postage.
We want to remind you that our publication can only be produced and mailed out free of charge because of our many advertisers. Fortunately, most advertisers like the fact that we get the magazine directly into the homes of expats and that around 55% of our subscribers tell us they do not read any other publication targeted at expats. So if you decide to buy any products or services you see advertised in our magazine, we would be grateful if you told them you saw their advertisement in The Expat.
Source: The Expat October 2013
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