Gaia Series 37: Magazine "Halmek" Amazing Ability

Halmek, Japan’s leading magazine for women over fifty, thrives despite digital disruption by engaging deeply with its readers.

In the bustling heart of Tokyo, as the new dawn of 2024 breaks, the Masuda family gathers in Musashino City, uniting three generations to celebrate New Year’s Day with a feast that exemplifies both tradition and the transformative power of engagement. 

This festive gathering, marked by a 77,000 yen (S$680) splurge on a New Year’s set meal which reader Kayo Masuda helped come up with for the magazine’s catalogue, provides a window into the intimate world of Halmek, a magazine that has carved out a unique space in Japan's competitive publishing landscape by focusing on a demographic rich in history but often overlooked by mainstream media: women over fifty.

Halmek, with its robust circulation of 460,000 copies a month, isn't just leading the pack in sales; It's crafting a community. Its pages are a testament to its depth of connection with its readers, covering a spectrum from health and wellness to travel, offering content that mirrors the lives and interests of its readership. Yet, what sets Halmek apart is its profound commitment to integrating reader feedback into its very fabric, transforming passive readers into active participants; Even the models featured within its pages are mostly their readers. 

This direct line to its readership is further solidified by hosting over 300 events a year such as practical courses about saving money, lessons on good posture and others where readers like Kayo Masuda contribute their palate and preferences to shape the magazine's offerings, showcasing a blend of reader insight and editorial expertise.

The magazine’s editors, led by the visionary Asako Yamaoka, have breathed life into a fictional persona named Haruko. She’s not just any character; Haruko embodies the magazine's archetype reader, a woman navigating her sixties and seventies with grace, grappling with life’s responsibilities while chasing moments of joy. Haruko serves as the guiding spirit for Halmek's content, ensuring it strikes a chord with its audience. And it does; In the seven years Asako has helmed the magazine, she has tripled the number of readers.  

The magazine’s foray into product development is another frontier where Halmek shines, merging reader feedback with innovation. From health supplements and beauty products to fashion items like the "Beauty Move Pants," designed from reader feedback, Halmek crafts products that resonate deeply with its audience's needs and aspirations. 

This collaborative approach not only enhances reader loyalty but also proves commercially successful, as evidenced by the sale of 180,000 pairs of the tailored trousers. There are now around 300 products created from reader data in Halmek’s catalogue which are sold in Halemk’s nine boutiques. These run the gamut from carrot juice to medicinal oil. 

Behind the scenes, we see how the “Cinderella Shoe” project team leverages data to create a product. To address 40 per cent of readers concern about bunions, the team decides to engage physiotherapist, Yuasa Yoshiro to develop a shoe that correct bunions. They pore over minute design elements such as ribbons and colour schemes; Ergonomics such as weight and materials. The final prototypes are then tested by focus group of Halmek readers for final adjustments before 600 pairs are produced for a trial sale. 

At the Halmek outlet in Shinjuku’s Tokyo Keio Department Store, the shoe’s development lead, Kayoko Ando, arranges the shoes nervously. 240 pairs need to be sold within two weeks to qualify the Cinderella shoes as a success. She needn’t have worried as 333 pairs, the record for any Halmek product trial, are sold. With the approval of Halmek Holdings president Takao Miyazawa, the shoes will be manufactured in volume. 

However, Halmek's journey is not without its challenges. The digital age threatens traditional print media, yet the magazine has found a way to not just survive but thrive. By fostering a deep-seated loyalty among its readers through engaging content and reader-driven product development, Halmek stands as a beacon of innovation in a sea of change. It's a testament to the enduring power of print media when it truly understands and connects with its audience.

Beyond its pages, Halmek extends its reach through Halmek 365, a digital platform that complements its print content, addressing the evolving media consumption habits of its readership. This strategic expansion into digital territory signifies Halmek's adaptive approach, ensuring it remains relevant and accessible to its audience, regardless of the medium.

As Halmek navigates the future, it does so with a clear vision: to remain a source of inspiration, empowerment, and engagement for its readers. Its success story, marked by innovative content strategies and a deep connection with its audience, provides valuable lessons for media outlets grappling with the digital transformation. Halmek exemplifies that at the heart of media's future lies the ability to evolve without losing sight of the core audience that defines its purpose.

The magazine's journey, from celebrating New Year’s with the Masuda family to innovating in product development and embracing digital platforms, is a narrative of resilience, engagement, and transformation. Halmek not only celebrates the lives of women over fifty but also empowers them, providing a platform that listens, adapts, and grows with them. It’s a story of how tradition and modernity can coalesce to create something truly impactful, ensuring that as the world changes, Halmek and its readers move forward together, embarking on a journey of mutual growth and discovery.