The new study “The Intersection of Influence” released by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and HarrisX reveals that news media rooted in editorial integrity captures unparalleled consumer focus and cognitive recognition. For marketers navigating an ecosystem crowded by generic, AI-generated content, quality journalism remains an irreplaceable anchor of trust and intentional engagement.
According to the data, 68% of Hong Kong adults are fully or mostly focused when using news apps, the highest level of active attention measured across other digital channels.
Furthermore, quality journalism demonstrates immense staying power, with 61% of respondents stating that news content sticks with them long after they finish reading. This staying power is even stronger among high-income, highly educated and business decision-maker groups.
Kevin Huang, Chief Operating Officer at SCMP, said, “Decision-makers read with purpose and act on insight, making them the priority audience for brands. By leveraging highly influential news platforms rooted in editorial integrity, brands can seamlessly align themselves with trusted content to drive deeper engagement. Trust has always been the cornerstone of SCMP, a value that is becoming increasingly essential yet rare today. This study findings and our recent brand campaign ‘Influence Reads SCMP’ highlight these fundamental values and the deep-seated trust SCMP shares with prominent leaders and changemakers.”
Alongside the release of this brand study, SCMP debuts a new brand campaign themed “Influence Reads SCMP”. The campaign brings together six prominent figures from Hong Kong and across Asia – spanning sport, finance, business, and public service – who share a common conviction: informed decisions begin with trusted journalism.
he six featured leaders joining a community of 30 influential individuals from previous editions are:
- Stephanie Au (歐鎧淳), five-time Olympian from Hong Kong
- Frederick Chin Voon Fat, Head, Group Wholesale Banking and Markets, UOB
- Christina Gaw, Managing Principal, Global Head of Capital Markets, Co-chair of Alternative Investments, Gaw Capital Partners
- Dr Peter Lam (林建岳博士), Chairman, Hong Kong Tourism Board
- Li Xiaopeng (李小鵬), Olympic Gymnastics Champion
- Michael T. Smith, Group Chief Executive, Hongkong Land
Spanning from June 17 through August 31, the campaign will be featured across print, digital, video, as well as high-traffic locations including the Hong Kong International Airport baggage reclaim hall, MTR stations, and five “Ding Ding” trams, as well as at various SCMP events.
The study also shows that trusted news partnerships elevate brand metrics, with 70% of business decision-makers feeling significantly more positive about a brand that partners or advertises with a news source they trust.
Paul Phillips, Marketing Director at SCMP, said, “News is influencing the influential, and that insight drives our new brand campaign ‘Influence Reads SCMP’, which features our reader and partner communities across Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and Asean. It celebrates our readers who don’t just read to stay informed; they read to lead, relying on SCMP’s unrivaled perspective about China and Asia. Brands that stand with trusted news media drive lasting influence.”
Alex Braun, Chief Strategy Officer, Global EVP, HarrisX, said, “Building on our work looking at modern media environments and how audiences perceive brands within them, this study looks beyond where audiences spend time to how they behave once they are there. For marketers, that changes the planning conversation. The job is not just to buy more exposure, but to understand which environments create the right kind of attention for the task at hand.”
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