SCMP Plus, the South China Morning Post’s premium subscription service, won a top honour on Wednesday in recognition of its innovative approach to giving readers more context and analysis on China-related topics.
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The gold in the digital subscription/reader revenue project category was one of two top awards picked up by the Post at the Digital Media Awards Asia in Kuala Lumpur. Morning Studio, the Post’s commercial content arm, got top prize in its category for a project with Cathay Pacific’s air-cargo unit about carrying pandas to Hong Kong.
“We are proud to be recognised with top honours at the Wan-IFRA Digital Media Awards Asia, a testament to SCMP’s leadership in editorial excellence and exceptional creativity. The success of SCMP Plus reaffirms the indispensable value we deliver to subscribers seeking world-class expertise and analysis on the complexities of China,” said Catherine So, CEO of the Post. “Furthermore, our Morning Studio team’s exceptional talent in crafting compelling branded narratives with partners continues to set industry standards in marketing. We remain dedicated to driving impactful journalism and creative storytelling for our readers and partners.”
With the launch of SCMP Plus on May 6, 2024, the Post introduced a full suite of subscription tiers: standard, which provides access to scmp.com; Plus, which comprises digital access and SCMP Plus, a premium analysis and opinion platform; and Bundle Plus, which adds delivery of the print newspaper to the other two platforms.
“The award affirms that a product built on journalism, news judgment, experience, user needs and curation has a place in an industry that is coming to grips with AI-generated content and short videos,” said Chow Chung Yan, the executive editor of the Post. “It is encouraging to see that discerning readers are still reaching to experienced journalists and credible brands to keep themselves informed.”
Wan-IFRA, which organised the awards, said in a request for submissions in the digital category that it was seeking entries that “demonstrate real results and metrics, understanding of brand strengths, clarity for the reader or customer, and an effective call to action”.
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As the top award winner, SCMP Plus will go on to compete in the global Digital Media Awards, which will be held in conjunction with the World News Media Congress in Krakow, Poland, on May 4-6.