Two high-society magazines have taken to court their squabble over which one is the best in the business.

Prestige magazine is suing Singapore Tatler for making claims that Tatler was the leading high-society magazine here among both advertisers and target readers.

Singapore Tatler made the claim based on a study by reputable market research company Synovate that it commissioned last year.

Prestige claims the study Tatler commissioned was "invalid and unreliable" and is suing its rival.

The claims were included in brochures distributed by Tatler last May to invited guests at its high-tea event at the Raffles Town Club. In the brochure titled "Competitive Analysis of High Society & Lifestyle Magazines in Singapore", Tatler claimed it was the "essential choice of advertisers who want to reach Singapore's affluent elites".

It claimed that of 25 areas of popularity among readers and advertisers, Tatler topped all.

An estimated 200,000 Singaporeans read high-society magazines. According to Media Circulations Services, Singapore Tatler's average net circulation for the period July to December last year was 14,426.

In its opening court statement, Prestige said the survey respondents were all picked from those attending events organised by Tatler, making the responses biased. And the 13 participants in a focus group conducted as part of the study were "handpicked" by an editor and the events manager of Tatler, it said.

But Tatler's own opening statement said the respondents were "unlikely" to favour Tatler as they were "also regularly featured in the pages of Prestige".

Another high-society magazine, The Peak, part of the Singapore Press Holdings' stable, also sued Tatler over the claims in its brochure.

But Tatler settled the matter with The Peak out of court last December. Terms of settlement were confidential.

Prestige apparently did not receive an offer of settlement from Tatler. This, its lawyers said, showed Tatler's "maliciousness" towards Prestige.

Prestige also took offence at a statement in the brochure, which said Prestige was an "advertising catalogue" and that it was perceived as "boring".

Tatler argued its claims were without malice and that it had made them based on the findings of the study by a "large and professional" research firm. As far as Tatler was aware, the study was "conducted impartially and professionally".

Synovate is one of the world's leading market research companies with branches in 46 countries.

The bad blood between the magazines seems to stem from Tatler losing its staff to Prestige when it started in September 2000 - a point raised in both sides' opening arguments.

The Straits Times

Asia News Network

Singapore