Morning Studio team, after scoring multiple awards at The Spark Awards for Media Excellence, won and swept the award category for branded content at the WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards and managed to get Gold, Silver and Bronze for the ‘Native Advertising and Branded Content’ category which showcased Morning Studio’s creativity and expertise in a post-ad blocking media environment, creating three winning brand stories that showcased the best user experience and displaying effective use of multiple media platforms.
SCMP won five Gold awards, one Silver and two Bronzes at The Asian Digital Media Awards in five categories including ‘Best News Website or Mobile Service’, ‘Best in Lifestyle, Sports, Entertainment Website or Mobile Services’, ‘Best Use of Online Video (including VR)’, ‘Best Data Visualization’ and ‘Best Digital Project to Engage Younger and/or Millennial Audiences’.
SCMP also bagged two awards at the inaugural Asia Podcast Awards, with ‘Eat Drink Asia’ winning “Best Entertainment Podcast” and ‘Inside China Tech’ winning “Best Technology Podcast”. Another podcast, ‘Inside China’ was also a finalist for “Asia’s Best Podcast” category.
Cosmopolitan celebrated its 35th anniversary.
The first China Conference in the US launched.
Operation Santa Claus, the annual fundraising campaign jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and Radio Television Hong Kong raised over HK$15.2 million in charitable donations.
2018The South China Morning Post introduced a new corporate identity, signifying its evolution from a storied newspaper into a global media company. The launch includes a redesign of the SCMP broadsheet and its digital products as well as a new corporate logo. The logo draws inspiration from Hong Kong’s rich maritime heritage in tune with the yellow-and-blue international signal flag Kilo, which means “I want to communicate with you”. The company also relocated its city office from 1 Leighton Road to Times Square in Causeway Bay. The premises will eventually take up about 100,000-square-feet of gross floor area over five floors. Within a year, SCMP launched three digital news brands and platforms – Abacus, Inkstone and Goldthread as well as a dedicated branded content team, Morning Studio.
2017“Belt and Road Initiative”, a visual explainer created by the Graphics team at the South China Morning Post, is named the Best Data Visualisation Project at the World Digital Media Awards, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The top award added to the 500 accolades that the SCMP has won in the past five years.
South China Morning Post swooped up four Gold awards, two Silvers and a Bronze at the Asian Digital Media Awards 2017.
ELLE celebrated its 30th anniversary.
2016South China Morning Post Publishers Limited won 11 awards at the Media Convergence Awards 2015 with the South China Morning Post and Elle. The SCMP snatched seven Golds, including the coveted Gold in Overall Excellence, marking the second time that the SCMP has netted this accolade.
The SCMP Group reported a revenue of HK$1,121.7 million in 2015 with a net profit attributable to shareholders at HK$316.2 million, which includes a HK$191.4 million fair value gain on investment properties and a HK$65.1 million gain on partial disposal of interests in an associate of the Group. Carving out these exceptional items, net profit attributable to shareholders was HK$59.7 million, compared with HK$125.4 million in 2014. The lower net profit was mainly due to lower advertising sales resulting from the slowdown in retail sales in Hong Kong.
Following the completion of Alibaba Group’s acquisition of the South China Morning Post and its associated media assets, the online and mobile editions of the SCMP become free to access. Concurrent to the paywall removal, a new SCMP Mobile app was launched, featuring functionalities such as search, personalisation, faster loading time, deep linking from social media and easy navigation.
HK Magazine celebrated 25th anniversary.
Mr Gary Liu was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. Mr Liu is an influencer and innovator in digital media, having helped shape the narrative of how media touches people’s lives previously at Digg, Spotify, Google, and AOL.
2015The SCMP Mobile Edition app for the Apple Watch was launched, heralding the SCMP as one of the first developers and publishers of Apple Watch apps.
The SCMP Group garnered more than 90 accolades within the first quarter of the year, averaging one award every day from January to March 2015.
The Group reported a third consecutive billion-dollar revenue fiscal year at HK$1,241.2 million, an 8% increase from HK$1,146.6 million recorded in 2013. Adjusted operating profit for 2014 increases moderately by 4% to HK$167.7 million, as revenue growth is partly offset by increasing cost to support the Group’s new businesses.
Classified Post was relaunched with a new look; and cpjobs.com a new flagship digital recruitment platform was launched to offer jobseekers easier access to the latest and most relevant job opportunities.
Ms. Luisa Tam, a seasoned journalist and media veteran, was appointed Editor-in-Chief of HK Magazine.
The inaugural South China Morning Post China Conference was launched as a thought leadership platform that shares insights on Chinese enterprises’ global expansion.
The SCMP Group acquired a majority stake in MyDress Holdings Limited, operator of MyDress.com, a fashion eCommerce market leader in Hong Kong. This marks the Group’s first eCommerce venture.
The SCMP Group signed an agreement to print the International New York Times for mainland China and Hong Kong markets. The deal will come into effect in February 2016.
The SCMP Group enters into an agreement with Alibaba Group to sell the South China Morning Post and other media assets, including the magazine, recruitment, outdoor media, custom publishing, contract printing, events & conferences, education and digital media businesses.
2014The South China Morning Post published a two-part eBook series, titled How the Umbrella Movement Unfolded that chronicles the historic Occupy Central movement.
Destination Macau and its sister publication DM Exclusive, two luxury Macau-focused lifestyle titles from the Group’s magazine portfolio, were revamped.
The SCMP Charity Art Auction, with patron sponsorship from Chow Tai Fook Jewellery and New World Development, raised over HK$3 million from the community in seed funding to finance four social responsibility programmes managed by St. James’ Settlement, the Society for Community Organization (SoCO) and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals.
EsquireHK.com was launched, establishing Esquire as the first and only international men’s fashion and lifestyle media brand with a localized multimedia online presence in Hong Kong.
Operation Santa Claus, the annual fundraising campaign jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and Radio Television Hong Kong for the past 27 years since 1988, raised over HK$20 million in charitable donations for the second consecutive year.
The SCMP Group acquired publisher Destination Macau Limited which publishes luxury lifestyle titles Destination Macau and DM Exclusive, further consolidating the Group’s market share in the South China region’s luxury lifestyle media space.
The Group reported that its revenue in 2013 rose by 12% to HK$1,146.6 million from HK$1,019.6 million in 2012. Profit attributable to shareholders, however, declined 29% from HK$316.3 million to HK$223.7 million, mainly due to the decline in revaluation gain on our portfolio of investment properties, increase in staff expenses to support revenue growth and the further development of growth businesses including HK Magazine and EducationPost.com.hk.
2013SCMP Group Ltd announced consolidated operating results of the Company for the twelve months ended 31 December 2012. Group revenue rose 8% to HK$1019.6 million in 2012, marking the first time since 2008 the company revenues exceeded HK$1 billion. Revenue growth was attributed to new acquisitions and new revenue sources. Heavy investments in future growth impacted profit, which declined by 20%, from HK$409.9 million to HK$329.1 million.
SCMP launched the all-new STYLE magazine in March, revamping the previous Style magazine with a monthly larger format glossy publication focusing on the world of culture and luxury for the discerning followers of avant-garde. Style Magazine later won Marketing Magazine’s Best Relaunch of the Year.
In April, SCMP launched 48 Hours, a new guide to the weekend, inserted in the South China Morning Post and available at retail for HK$18.
In May, SCMP launched a new smartphone app called SCMP NewsPulse, viewable on any smartphone device. Over the next two months, smartphone apps are also launched for Classified Post, Jiu Jik, Smartjob and Education Post.
SCMP completed acquisition of the Hong Kong business of Asia City Media Group Ltd in July, bringing into the Group some of the city’s strongest English language lifestyle titles: HK Magazine , The List, Where Hong Kong, Where Guestbook, and Where Chinese (玩儿), HK Magazine website, The List website, HK Magazine Tablet app and Happy Hour Finder app.
In August, the South China Morning Post launched an HTML5 tablet edition. The new SCMP tablet edition features a highly visual and interactive user interface, optimal navigation and a customizable template, and is accessible on any tablet device with an internet connection.
2012Mr Wang Xiangwei, a 16-year veteran Editor of the South China Morning Post was promoted to Editor-in-Chief on 31 January, with Kenneth Howe and Tammy Tam as his deputies.
Operation Santa Claus announced results for the 2011 campaign in which an all-time fundraising high of HK$17.5 million was reached, benefitting 16 charities.
A new online jobs portal smartjob.com was launched in February, targeting mid to mass market jobseekers.
Mr Robin Hu joined as CEO on 25 June, as Managing Director and CEO, Ms Hui Kuok stood down, retaining her position on the Board as Executive Director.
SCMP Group promoted General Manager and Publisher, Ms Josephine Chan, to Managing Director; overseeing all business operations for SCMP Magazines Publishing division under SCMP Group effective July 26.
SCMP Group extended its partnership with Hearst Magazines International to form SCMP Hearst HK Ltd to publish Elle and its related website, Car and Driver website, and other consumer-based business and strengthening the group’s line-up of women’s magazines, which includes Cosmopolitan, CosmoGirl!. Elle and Harper’s BAZAAR.
South China Morning Post won 64 awards in editorial and journalism excellence, including 11 at the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards, more than any other newspaper in the region.
SCMP Group extended its contract with local newspaper am730 to print the entire circulation run.
Newly-built website SCMP.com launched on 31 August, marking the first major overhaul of the site since it began.
A new primary student newspaper Posties was launched in July, evolving from a summer holiday paper to a term time weekly.
2011SCMP Group promoted Director of Advertising and Marketing Services, Ms Elsie Cheung, to Chief Operating Officer; in charge of all commercial operations of the Group with effect from 10 January.
South China Morning Post re-launched with a contemporary new look and extensive new content. This was headlined by 5 new unique daily tabloid supplements covering Money, Health, Food & Wine, Lifestyle and Family, becoming the first English-language newspaper in Hong Kong to deliver a daily tabloid supplement.
Chinese-language recruitment publication Jiu Jik celebrated its 10th Anniversary with an integrated marketing campaign and the industry’s first job speed-dating event. The campaign attracted thousands of jobseekers.
Annual community fundraising programme, Operation Santa Claus, raised more than HK$13 million in support of 14 charities and 2 social enterprise projects. In all, 88 corporations, 36 schools, 15 clubs and associations, and thousands of individuals took part in the fundraising campaign.
2010In February, Classified Post launched a new look for print and online, and introduced a new free tabloid targeted at young executives.
Dr Fred Hu Zu Liu was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company, with effect from 23 March.
South China Morning Post announced its new iPad app on 23 July, the same day iPad launched in Hong Kong.
Construction of irrigation, access and facilities infrastructure began in Ma Jia Xiang, a village in Jiu Zai Gou. Completion of the SCMP “Homes for Hope” project was scheduled for the end of 2010.
The South China Morning Post won a record haul of 58 awards, including 16 prizes at The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong, 10 at the Society of Publishers in Asia Editorial Awards, 12 at the Annual Human Rights Press Awards, 6 from the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, 6 from the Society for News Design and 6 from the IFRA 9th Annual Asian Media Awards.
2009SCMP Group appointed Dr David J. Pang as Non-Executive Chairman, and Ms Kuok Hui Kwong as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 January.
The South China Morning Post appointed Mr Reg Chua as Editor-in-Chief in July, responsible for editorial direction and newsroom operations.
The South China Morning Post and Sunday Morning Post won an impressive haul of media awards, including an unprecedented 8 top awards and 4 honourable mentions at one of Asia’s most prestigious journalism competitions, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Editorial Awards, 2 at the Annual Human Rights Press Awards, and 4 from the Society for News Design, competing against 11,000 entries submitted by 346 newspapers in 43 countries.
Maxim ceased operations in China.
Automobile, the longest history car title in the local market, celebrated its 30th birthday in 2009. SCMP outsourced all business activities of Automobile to Nuovo Grafica Publications Limited for a royalty fee.
The annual Operation Santa Claus campaign raised HK$11.8 million to support 13 charities.
Sichuan Earthquake Anniversary Gala Dinner raised over HK$3 million for earthquake victims with Mr Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of HKSAR, as guest of honour.
By the end of the year, SCMP “Homes For Hope” completed the construction of 980 homes for 2,432 people in County Mianzhu, uniting three devasted villages into one larger village, Qing Quan, with earthquake-proof homes and improved infrastructure and access.
2008South China Morning Post celebrated the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a special editorial series and a website titled “Passport to the Beijing Olympics”.
South China Morning Post launched charity relief effort “Homes For Hope” in response to the massive Sichuan earthquake in which 70,000 people were killed, 400,000 were injured, and millions were left homeless. HK$16.1 million was raised for the construction of homes and improved infrastructure.
SCMP Group launched women’s magazine, InStyle, in June in China.
Operation Santa Claus 2008 raised HK$11 million for 13 beneficiaries.
SCMP Group realised an income of HK$52.4 million by selling its music publishing company (Capital Artists) and its video film production business.
2007South China Morning Post unveiled a new look on 26 March with the aim of making the newspaper more engaging and enjoyable for readers, with a cleaner and clearer approach.
SCMP.com re-launched on 30 May with a new look offering more than 20 new features and interactive functions, and a more user-friendly interface.
2006South China Morning Post hosted the Style Awards in partnership with Harper’s BAZAAR. Readers of both publications voted for their choice of the city’s style icons with awards presented at a lavish ceremony.
2005Official opening of Guangzhou Video-Film Advertising Limited, a subsidiary of Guangzhou Video-Film on 12 April.
SCMP.com became the first newspaper site in Asia to launch podcasts of its news content and the first newspaper in Hong Kong to adopt citizen journalism with the launch of Citizen Post, timed to coincide with the WTO Conference.
SCMP.com launched Greater China Outlook, a daily digest of news, business, technology and lifestyle story summaries available in simplified and traditional Chinese and. China Business, a monthly pull-out devoted to an in-depth sector-by-sector analysis of the mainland business scene.
South China Morning Post held a conference entitled “The Role of Print in the Marketing Mix” in association with the International Newspaper Marketing Association and the HK4As.
Operation Santa Claus raised HK$12.18 million in cash, goods and services for 12 local charities – the first time in its 18-year history that the campaign broke the HK$10 million dollar mark.
2004Launched Maxim Hong Kong edition on 1 April.
Sale of Daily Stop to 7-Eleven as part of the Group’s disposal of non-core businesses.
The Centenary campaign culminated on 9 November with the South China Morning Post Centenary Conference and Cocktail Reception.
Operation Santa Claus’s Save the Children of the Asian Tsunami Campaign raised over HK$10.2 million for UNICEF in less than two weeks.
2003The Relaunched South China Morning Post anchored on three sections – Main, Business and City on 4 March.
Launched the Project Shield campaign to help protect medical workers handling the SARS outbreak. The campaign received an extraordinary response from the community, raising HK$20.84 million within a month.
South China Morning Post launched three projects to commemorate its centenary – Centenary Exhibition in October, Centenary Race meeting in Happy Valley on 4 November, and publication of “Post Impressions” on 6 November, the intend magazine covered company events, staff appointments and news within SCMP.
South China Morning Post centenary edition published on 6 November.
2002Partnership entered into with the MTR Corporation for the exclusive distribution of Jiu Jik across its metro rail network twice a week.
Sale of clubs/kindergarten businesses as part of the Group’s strategy to focus on core publishing products.
SCMP.com went from being a free service to a subscription-based service, branded SCMP.com Premium View in February.
Launched Classified Plus in November.
2001SCMP Book Publishing celebrated 20th Anniversary.
Daily Stop celebrated 20th Anniversary.
Re-launched Business Post on 4 June.
Launched a weekly bi-lingual recruitment magazine, Jiu Jik, on 7 June.
Launched CosmoGirl! in September.
2000Newspaper redesigned in May.
Group website SCMPGroup.com launched in October.
Education section launched in November.
1999PostNet was renamed SCMP.com Limited.
Launched the redesigned www.scmp.com
Launched the redesigned careers.scmp.com, the online career resource site in October.
TVE’s Chinese language publishing activities were injected into a 51% joint venture with Haymarket Publishing Group Ltd, aimed at building a strong portfolio of leading Chinese language magazines targeted at the Greater China market.
1998Ceased to be a Hang Seng Index constituent stock.
Established a news bureau in Guangzhou to complement the bureaux in Beijing and Shanghai.
1997Launched the Hong Kong handover website hongkong97.com.hk to provide 30 hours of non-stop live video coverage of the handover.
Launched www.classifiedpost.com.
1996Acquired TVE (Holdings) Ltd, thus expanding the Group’s business to include entertainment, recreation and leisure services, production of commercial films and property investment.
Launched the South China Morning Post on the internet in December.
1995Relocated the newspaper printing and distribution centre to the new plant in Tai Po. Sold headquarters building in Quarry Bay to Swire for HK$500 million.
Established PostNet as the digital arm of the Group. Ceased publishing Wah Kiu Yat Po.
1994News Corp Ltd disposed of the remaining 15.1% stake in the Company to MUI Media Ltd, a company controlled by Malayan United Industries Bhd in Kuala Lumpur.
1993Mr Kuok Hock Nien’s Kerry Media Ltd acquired 34.9% of the Company from News Corp Ltd.
1992Acquired the Chinese language newspaper, Wah Kiu Yat Po.
Expanded publishing interests overseas by acquiring over a stake of over 15% (21.3% in 2006) in The Post Publishing Co Ltd, which publishes the Bangkok Post and Post Today.
1990South China Morning Post (Holdings) Ltd was incorporated in Bermuda as the new holding company of the Group.
Re-listed on 26 June by offering 262.5 million shares to the public.
1987Privatised by News Corp Ltd.; sold interests in the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Far Eastern Economic Review.
1986The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corp Ltd and Hutchison Whampoa Ltd (both HK-listed companies) collectively sold a 34.9% interest to The News Corp Ltd, who also acquired 18.9%stake in Dow Jones’, thus becoming the controlling shareholder of the Company.
1971Listed in November.
Diversified into security printing, commercial printing and printing for the packaging industry.
Acquired interests in the publishers of the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Far Eastern Economic Review.
1903Business established under “South China Morning Post Ltd” to publish the South China Morning Post (“SCMP”), the leading English language newspaper in Hong Kong and Greater China.
First issue printed on 6 November.