“SCMP Plus was built for readers who need more than headlines – they need clarity,depth and confidence in how they understand China,” said Ben Abbotts,Project Manager at the South China Morning Post.
Its mission was both editorial and commercial: reaffirm SCMP’s authority on China, and acquire, retain and upsell high-value subscribers by offering tailored intelligence, analysis and tools.
Redefining value for a premium audience The launch came at a time when global attention on China was rising but high-quality analysis remained scattered across multiple sources. Positioned as “the ultimate guide to decoding China,” SCMP Plus helped readers cut through noise, connect the dots and distinguish opportunities from risks.
The platform was designed to target:
* Business decision-makers
* China watchers
* Researchers and academics
* Policy professionals
Abbotts said the goal was “to turn SCMP’s global expertise into a focused product that feels indispensable to the people shaping policy and business decisions around China.”
This case study is one of 12 from our new report on the winners of the most recent edition of our digital Media Awards Worldwide, which WAN-IFRA Members can download for free from our Knowledge Hub.
Building a premium product around intelligence and access
To serve its elite audience, SCMP Plus delivered a suite of high-value features designed for clarity, context and usability.
the core features include:
* The Daily Pulse: curated daily newsletter with concise analysis, context and media round-ups.
* Early access to Opinion from SCMP’s leading China experts and columnists.
* Best-in-class FactSheets and interactive data visualisations simplifying complex economic and policy issues.
* Detailed data maps on people, businesses, news and key topics.
* Best Digital Subscription: SCMP, Hong Kong
* News Agenda calendar covering political, economic, diplomatic and business milestones.
* Speedy Digest summaries for China intelligence at a glance.
* Exclusive subscriber-only events connecting readers to experts and peers.
* Open Questions series offering diverse perspectives from global experts.
* Ad-free reading, ensuring full focus on analysis and insight.
“Every feature was designed around one principle: Give readers context they can act on,” Abbotts said.
