“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.”
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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 information maps on people, businesses, news and key topics.
- Best Digital Subscription: SCMP, Hong Kong
- News Agenda calendar covering political, economic, diplomatic and business milestones.
- Quick 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.
A design process shaped by audience insight
SCMP Plus was built through interviews with more than 30 prospective subscribers across business, government, academia and investment. Their feedback drove every design choice.
What audiences told SCMP they wanted:
- Aggregated, multi-source information diverse perspectives
- Macro and microeconomic updates
- Regulatory developments
- Clear high-level overviews
How it shaped the product
“Premium readers expect sophistication, but also simplicity,” Abbotts said. “Our design had to make the complex feel effortless.”
SCMP did this by creating:
- A new brand focused on trust, clarity and expertise
- An interface built around data visualisation, intuitive navigation and productivity tools
- Prototypes refined through repeated user testing
Driving upgrades and long-term loyalty
SCMP Plus deepened engagement among the publisher’s most informed readers, encouraging upgrades from standard subscriptions and attracting a niche global audience of China watchers.
The publisher’s launch and long-term targets included:
- Convert 5 percent of existing users into regular Daily Pulse readers and SCMP Plus subscribers during launch.
- Convert 2 percent of existing users into paid SCMP Plus subscribers on an ongoing basis.
By the end of 2024, SCMP had a 41 percent average daily open rate for Daily Pulse and 70 percent of surveyed readers rated SCMP Plus as an important source for China or Asia coverage.
“SCMP Plus isn’t just a premium tier – it redefines what value means in journalism. It connects data, expertise and community, giving readers an advantage in how they understand China and the world around it,” said Abbotts.