He Feipeng — Steering Taiwan’s Publishing Industry into the Digital Era

He Feipeng (何飛鵬, b. 1957) is the founder and CEO of Cite Media Group (城邦媒體集團), one of Taiwan’s most influential publishing and media conglomerates. Starting as a reporter, he built a multi‑brand publishing empire that spans books, magazines, and digital content. At a time when the internet threatened traditional print models, He became a leading voice for transformation, insisting that quality content and professional editorial standards still matter—only the medium is changing.

For Taiwan, He’s not just a business executive. He is a cultural strategist who shaped how knowledge, business ideas, and global trends are translated into Chinese‑language publishing. His career tracks Taiwan’s transition from a print‑dominated society to a digital, platform‑driven media environment.

A Journalist’s Eye for Content

He Feipeng studied business at National Taiwan University before entering the media industry as a reporter. That early work taught him how stories are discovered, edited, and delivered to readers—skills that would later define his publishing philosophy.

He often emphasizes that media is not just about distribution, but about judgment: selecting what deserves attention and presenting it with clarity. This editorial discipline became the backbone of his later publishing strategy. When he eventually launched his own company, he brought a journalist’s commitment to relevance and a businessperson’s focus on sustainability.

Building Cite Media Group

In 1996, He founded Cite Media Group with a bold vision: to create the largest Chinese‑language publishing group in the world. His strategy was not to build one monolithic brand, but a constellation of specialized imprints serving different readers.

Cite grew by combining:

• Brand diversification: different imprints for business, lifestyle, literature, and culture
• Distribution strategy: building strong channels across bookstores, convenience stores, and later, online platforms
• Editorial specialization: recruiting editors who understood distinct readerships and could curate high‑quality content

This approach allowed Cite to scale without losing focus. It also created a publishing ecosystem where niche audiences could be served without sacrificing commercial viability.

Shaping Taiwan’s Business Publishing

He Feipeng made a strategic bet on business and management publishing, launching the “Business Weekly Publishing” (商周出版) brand. At a time when Taiwan’s business community was rapidly globalizing, this imprint became a key source of translated management ideas, leadership frameworks, and investment knowledge.

He actively acquired translation rights for international bestsellers, ensuring that Taiwanese readers could access global business thinking without delay. This helped position Taiwan’s professional class as more globally literate, and it gave Cite a stable revenue base in a competitive market.

Magazines and the Power of Curation

Beyond books, Cite became a major player in magazines. Titles under the group include Business Weekly (商業周刊), ELLE, and Cosmopolitan, covering finance, fashion, and lifestyle. He’s argued that in an era of information overload, the role of editors becomes more—not less—important. Readers are not just looking for news; they need meaning and structure.

This emphasis on curation made Cite’s magazines influential in shaping public conversations, especially on business trends and consumer culture. It also positioned the group to experiment with multimedia storytelling as digital platforms expanded.

A Digital Transformation Advocate

He Feipeng recognized early that publishing could not survive by simply digitizing print content. Instead, he pushed for a full rethinking of how content is created and consumed in the digital era.

His strategy included:

• Digital infrastructure: investing in online bookstores and e‑book platforms
• Cross‑media formats: blending text with audio, video, and interactive content
• Data‑informed decisions: using sales and reader analytics to refine publishing choices

Rather than frame digital change as a threat, he treated it as a chance to expand the reach of quality content. This mindset helped Taiwan’s publishing industry adapt without losing its professional standards.

Building a Content Ecosystem

He often describes Cite as a “content ecosystem” rather than a publisher. The group expanded into related sectors—film, education, and cultural products—allowing successful ideas to travel across formats. This vertical integration created multiple pathways for a story to generate value, from books to documentaries to online courses.

At the same time, He invested in author development. Cite built systems to support writers and editors, recognizing that talent development is essential for long‑term cultural relevance. This is especially important in a small market like Taiwan, where the scale is limited but the impact can be deep.

Management Philosophy and Cultural Responsibility

He Feipeng’s management style emphasizes people and creativity. He believes publishing is a creative industry and must cultivate a culture where editors and writers can take risks. He has advocated for flatter organizational structures and internal autonomy, allowing teams to experiment and respond quickly to market shifts.

He is also outspoken about the social responsibility of media. In his view, publishing is not just a business but a cultural mission: to promote literacy, support public debate, and protect intellectual freedom. This stance has made him a respected leader in policy discussions around copyright, reading culture, and the future of publishing.

Why He Feipeng Matters

He Feipeng’s career mirrors Taiwan’s media evolution. He built institutions that professionalized publishing, expanded access to global ideas, and navigated the disruptive shift to digital. His legacy is not simply a successful company, but a set of industry standards: editorial rigor, market intelligence, and cultural responsibility.

For international readers, He’s a case study in how a small market can sustain a vibrant publishing ecosystem by focusing on quality, specialization, and adaptation. He shows that digital transformation doesn’t have to mean abandoning print culture—it can mean extending its influence into new spaces.

References

• Cite Media Group: CEO Profile — Official biography and corporate information
• Business Weekly Interview: He Feipeng’s Management Philosophy — In‑depth profile from the group’s flagship magazine
• Ministry of Culture: Taiwan Publishing Industry Report — Official government statistics and industry analysis