South China Morning Post announces new iPad app on the same day as iPad launches in Hong Kong Hong Kong, July 21, 2010 – South China Morning Post launches its new iPad app on Friday 23rd July, available as a free daily downloadable trial version timed to coincide with the first day Apple iPad releases in Hong Kong. iPad users will be able to take advantage of the free trial until early August when the full version will be available on iTunes.Marking the launch with an unprecedented full front page takeover of the printed newspaper, the Post will be the first English-language Asian newspaper to develop a dedicated iPad app. While some publications have transferred websites, basic pdf-style executions or their iPhone apps to the new format, South China Morning Post‘s app capitalises on some of the unique functionality of the iPad. Featuring user friendly up/down and side-to-side navigation, touch zoom-in, and all the key news sections in the paper, the app will enable users to scroll through pages using an easy touch navigation panel, or flip through the Business, City and Main sections intuitively. Dr Mario Garcia, one of the news media industry’s most highly respected newspaper design veterans, having collaborated on 450 projects over the past 30 years, including The Wall Street Journal and Die Zeit, commented: "The South China Morning Post can now use this new and vibrant platform of the iPad to continue its long tradition of excellence in journalism, and the English language voice for all things Hong Kong and China. Particularly today, with a global audience to tap into its wealth of information, the Post can truly become a journalistic global player." Reg Chua, South China Morning Post‘s Editor-in-Chief said: "The iPad is at the forefront of a major development in reader options, and we are very excited about the new challenges and opportunities it provides us as a news organisation. With tablets, readers can consume news in a way more akin to the tactile and serendipitous newspaper reading experience, and yet provide deeper, richer content and more readily updatable information". He added: "While we still believe that there will always be a market for the printed paper, which readers can enjoy in a relaxed, offline way, we want to offer them the benefit of a great news reading experience in whichever platform they choose." Anne Wong, Director of Marketing at the Post said: "Our web analytics show that the iPad is already the second highest-used mobile device for downloading our website, scmp.com, despite the device not having launched yet in Hong Kong. It also showed that those users visited more pages than users of any other device. This clearly indicates that our readers are iPad-ready, so when the device launches on Friday in Hong Kong, we want to be there for them with a great purpose-built solution." Ms. Wong also stressed the opportunity iPad provided for advertisers. "Our new app will enable our advertisers to really bring their messages to life, and target South China Morning Post readers with more engaging creative executions." Elaborating, she added: "We’ll assist our advertisers to develop iPad versions of their advertising executions, which can incorporate more dynamic versions of their colour magazine imagery, the ability to touch and manipulate the various colour schemes or styles, flip through brochure pages, include moving images, music and narrative, and appeal more deeply to their consumers’ senses. They will also benefit from the knowledge that their target audiences are likely to spend more time interacting with their products." One key benefit for South China Morning Post readers is the anytime, anywhere availability of their trusted paper. A large proportion of the Post readers are frequent business and leisure travelers, and the new app will enable them to keep in touch with local Hong Kong and China news. In addition, South China Morning Post continues to offer scmp.com, its online website, and SCMP Today, its direct to inbox news headline alert service; it will also be introducing a new user-friendly iPhone app in August. Supporting the most widely used mobile device for scmp.com readers, the new iPhone app will provide a further reader benefit of free headline news. |
| For further information please contact: Anne Wong Director of Marketing Email: anne.wong@scmp.com |