BurdaLuxury names new associate publisher for its KL branch

BurdaLuxury, a subsidiary of Hubert Burda Media, has named Natasha Kraal (pictured) as its new associate publisher for BurdaLuxury Kuala Lumpur, effective immediately. In this role, Kraal will oversee the editorial and marketing strategy for the company’s brands in Malaysia such as Prestige, Lifestyle Asia, PIN Prestige, and Augustman.

An industry veteran with over 25 years of dedicated media experience, Kraal previously held the role of editor-in-chief at Harper’s Bazaar for 17 years, as well as oversaw all print, digital, social media, and commercial aspects of the brand. In 2021, she launched a wellness and lifestyle brand, MYND, as well as her own consultancy, curating two fashion exhibitions and both ARTisFAIR/KL exhibitions along with branding for various lifestyle brands.

“With a proven track record of editorial excellence in the industry, I am confident that Kraal will be instrumental in driving growth, spearheading new editorial strategies, and conceptualising innovative marketing campaigns for our brands in Malaysia,” said Björn Rettig, the CEO of BurdaLuxury.

He added that he believes Kraal's extensive knowledge of the media landscape in Malaysia, coupled with her editorial expertise, will be invaluable as BurdaLuxury continues to grow its presence across the region.

Don't miss: Italian fashion mag Grazia makes its foray into SG and MY

The appointment reflects BurdaLuxury’s recent pivot towards a more streamlined structure: the company recently centralised its finance, HR, and IT departments while maintaining local integrity through country-specific roles for core functions such as editorial, marketing, and sales.

“This is a great opportunity to further elevate our brands, expand our business, and truly be at the pinnacle of publishing in Malaysia, even the region. We also hope to launch exciting new titles soon to expand on our presence as the only international media company in Malaysia with a suite of powerful titles,” said Kraal.

In addition to the appointment, BurdaLuxury revealed that Steven Chan, managing director of BurdaLuxury Kuala Lumpur, has chosen to leave the organisation to pursue new ventures.

“I want to thank Chan for his leadership during his time at BurdaLuxury and his contribution towards the company’s growth, especially over the past few years. I wish him all the best in his career as he focuses on future endeavours,” said Rettig.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to BurdaLuxury for more information. 

Recently, Heart Media Group revealed that it will be launching a new fashion magazine, GRAZIA, in Singapore and Malaysia this coming March. Touted as the first 100% Italian fashion magazine to have “exported its successful formula worldwide”, from Italy to China, the magazine is published by the Mondadori Group and is also said to be "Italy's fashion bible".

GRAZIA Singapore and GRAZIA Malaysia will launch in March 2023 with an English-language print issue, a website and a presence on all relevant social media platforms. Pakkee Tan and Ian Loh will lead the Singapore and Malaysia editorial operations respectively as editor-in-chief.

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