BusinessWeek's International Strategy Shifts Online

McGraw-Hill’s BusinessWeek magazine is nixing its Asian and European editions, instead developing a series of Web sites to serve its international readership and advertiser base.

The company will develop online editions for Europe and Asia and create versions of vertical content sites focusing on niche content areas: business education; design and innovation; and small business. The company is keeping its international bureaus, but will distribute more of its content online.

BusinessWeek says its decision to focus online was driven by the fact that international visitors to the publication’s Web site have nearly doubled in the past year, accounting for approximately a quarter of the site’s traffic.

“The enormous growth we have seen in online suggests a great opportunity for BusinessWeek,” said William Kupper Jr., president of BusinessWeek Group, in a statement. “By aligning our resources more strategically to those areas where we see the greatest demand, we can enhance BusinessWeek’s growth prospects and expand our international presence in key markets.”

By press time, the company hadn’t responded to inquiries about possible changes in the sales force to serve online advertisers.

A single global print edition of BusinessWeek will be distributed across North America, Europe, Asia, and in other markets. The company also has local language editions produced through partnerships in China, Poland, Indonesia, Russia and Turkey.