Hong Kong Media Report 2021 results unveiled

Each year, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE undertakes one of its most significant research projects to discover the media preferences of Hong Kong’s marketers. We hope to understand which media platforms marketers are interested in for advertising solutions across digital, outdoor, TV, radio and print platforms.

In this research, we ask respondents to name the magazines, TV stations, digital platforms, or OOH groups, they would use to target consumers across key industries. In this issue, we highlight the three top media platforms across digital and print in each category, and the top three in TV broadcasters and out-of-home.

How did we achieve this?
The media rankings were derived from questions in the annual Media Spend Benchmarking Survey. It employed an online questionnaire and surveyed its database of client advertisers and marketing services agency professionals. All answers given by respondents were considered by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE when finalising the rankings.

Quality recipients and respondents
A total of 583 respondents participated in the Media Spend Benchmarking Survey. Genuine advertising decision-makers and influencers across key agency-using industries were well represented as were agency professionals from various marketing services. Over 71% of respondents were manager-level decision makers, and above, with about 29% from the most senior ranks of client advertisers – CEOs, MDs, or GMs. Advertisers from major and local international banks, FMCG companies, property and construction, IT and telecommunication firms, as well as those from travel and tourism companies, participated in the survey. Agency professionals across the marketing services spectrum were also represented.

Please also refer to the digital version of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s magazine for the results. 

Digital Media

Parenting
No.1 Ohpama
Ohpama, a parenting media platform, has shown its excellence in providing parenting and family life news, including up-to-date information, practical expert knowledge, family activities, and local and overseas education resources for Hong Kong parents, and has made the top spot for four consecutive years. At the same time, this brand, under Sing Tao News Corporation, partners with brands to develop total marketing solutions, creates content, produces videos, and organises online and offline events. The platform has proven its strong penetration and audience engagement in its recent successful exhibition events, and school-kid projects.

Website: www.ohpama.com

No.2 Parenting Headline
Founded in 2015, Parenting Headline is a local independent parent-child media platform that provides parents with one-stop information on parenting, schooling, parent-child relations, social talks, and leisure time. 

No.3 SundayKiss
SundayKiss is a Hong Kong-based parenting editorial platform from New Media Group. The site offers a wide range of content, including news, advice, and guidance for mothers. Other areas include self-care information recipes for young children.

Entertainment
No.1 HK01
HK01 provides personalised and diversified internet services for the digital era. As a trailblazer of Hong Kong's internet industry, HK01 offers factual information and inspiring content through the use of innovative technology.

No.2 King Jer
King Jer is an online platform offering news and information about entertainment and showbiz. It also provides commentary on pop music, movies, and TV episodes.

No.3 100most
100most provides a self curated stream about current affairs and online content accompanying an ad platform. The site provides integrated advertising and media services to customers which are categorised into digital services, print services, and event organisation and artist management.

News & Current Affairs
No.1 HK01
HK01 provides personalised and diversified internet services for the digital era. As a trailblazer of Hong Kong's internet industry, HK01provides factual information and inspiring content through the use of innovative technology.

No.2 South China Morning Post
SCMP.com boasts 30.7 million monthly active users, 325 million ad impressions, and 2.4 billion video views per year. In addition, its branded content team, Morning Studio, aims to engage readers through storytelling while enabling brands to achieve their marketing objectives.

No.3 Headline Daily
Headline Daily is the only newspaper with a readership in excess of one million, and it continues to take the leading position with the largest distribution network and coverage, occupying the first position among newspapers in Hong Kong. Its website is also a source of leisure and entertainment information, in additional to news.

Financial Information
No.1 Bloomberg
Bloomberg believes its customers rely on it to deliver accurate and real-time business and market-moving information that helps them make critical financial decisions by unleashing the power of information and technology to bring clarity to a complex world.

No.2 HKET
The site of HKET provides the digital edition of the Hong Kong Economic Times and has an archive dating back to 2010. HKET offers professional analysis on finance, and the property markets, as well as the economy, which users can access through mobile, tablets and desktops.

No.3 South China Morning Post
SCMP.com boasts 30.7 million monthly active users, 325 million ad impressions, and 2.4 billion video views per year. In addition, its branded content team, Morning Studio, aims to engage readers through storytelling while enabling brands to achieve their marketing objectives.

Consumer Electronics
No.1 Price.com.hk
Price.com.hk is the No.1 price comparison platform in Hong Kong, listing more than 200,000 consumer electronics from different categories, including audio/visual, home appliances, communication, gaming, computer, and photography. With more than 10,000 local retail merchants, Price.com.hk is committed to creating a smart shopping experience for customers, and providing unique services for local retailers at the same time. With the increasing popularity of online shopping, merchants of Price.com.hk can also run their own PriceShop and launch their products on the Price eMarketplace, which provides a wide range of offerings, including consumer electronics, lifestyle goods, healthcare and beauty products, and even F&B.

Website: www.price.com.hk

No.2 Unwire.hk
Established in 2008, Unwire.hk is a free website providing technology information and analysis, product test reports, and profiles. The website says its target users are aged 20 to 40, from students to professionals, and it claims it reaches more than two million unique visitors per month.

No.3 DCFever.com
Established in 2002, DCFever.com is Hong Kong’s leading photography, tech and lifestyle website, aimed at creating interaction between consumer electronics users, and encouraging them to use technology to elevate their standard of living.

Social Media
No.1 Instagram
Acquired by Facebook for US$1 billion in 2012, Instagram’s storytelling and live-streaming platform has become the standard way that many of us share photos and keep up with friends, family, and total strangers online.

No.2 Facebook
With a product offering that began as a college directory, but has gone on to consume and connect nearly every online touch-point in our lives in less than two decades, Facebook and its interconnected apps, and ad partners, are with us, and our friends, and their friends, every step of the way.

No.3 LinkedIn
LinkedIn boasts more than 780 million members from more than 200 countries and regions. It hopes to create opportunities for everyone in the job market, and has a mission to help professionals to leverage their networks to achieve success.

Demand Side Platform
No.1 Google Marketing Platform
A fully integrated digital marketing service, Google Marketing Platform was launched in 2018 to unite the company’s DoubleClick and Analytics 360 offerings to create a one-stop shop for marketers to plan campaigns, understand their customers, create connections, and ultimately, drive results.

No.2 Facebook Ad Manager
Offering the ability to place ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook Audience Network, the platform enables precision targeting of potential consumers and sophisticated analytics to ensure advertisers get the most out of every dollar spent.

No.3 DoubleClick Bid Manager
DoubleClick Bid Manager gives advertisers access to many ad space inventories for programmatic media buying, across all formats and channels. It gives advertisers trading desks, and advertising agencies access to ad spaces in real-time.

Travel
No.1 U Travel
Hongkongers look to their top home-grown travel outlets to get up-to-date news on what is happening, and to dream about where they will go in the future. Through it all, U Travel has delivered consistent and relevant content that has kept readers coming back for more.

No.2 Weekend Weekly
Launched in 1999, Weekend Weekly is one of Hong Kong’s leading travel, dining and leisure magazines. Its website is also one of Hong Kong’s leading leisure and lifestyle digital platforms, offering lifestyle and entertainment information.

No.3 Flyday.hk
Flyday.hk is an independent travel site offering air ticket promotions and hotel packages. It welcomes netizens to send in questions about cheap tickets, and budget hotels. It also offers information about staycation packages with travel restrictions still in place.

Lifestyle
No.1 U Lifestyle
Year after year, Hongkongers turn to U Lifestyle as their digital resource for the best of Hong Kong. Combining U Travel, U HK, U Beauty, U Food, and U Blog, they provide an excellent user experience, an engaged social base, and a distinctively local portal for everything you need.

No.2 Harper’s Bazaar HK
Offering information about fashion, beauty, celebrities, entertainment, and art and design, Harper’s Bazaar HK also boasts social media platforms to engage audiences, as well as a loyalty programme which provides members with a multitude of promotions.

No.3 HYPEBEAST
HYPEBEAST is an online platform for men’s contemporary fashion and streetwear. It offers content about entertainment, design, food and beverage, gaming, travel, and sports.

Luxury
No.1 VOGUE Hong Kong
Since its launch in 2019, VOGUE Hong Kong, the 25th edition of the Condé Nast fashion bible, has clearly staked its claim as the top luxury magazine and online platform in town through its high profile cover page stars and in-depth content. This year, it has expanded into men’s fashion with VOGUE Man, and culture and lifestyle content with VOGUE LIVING. It’s safe to say VOGUE has delivered the final word on the finer things in life.

Website: www.voguehk.com

No.2 Tatler Hong Kong
Tatler Hong Kong has navigated the challenges of this year by giving Hong Kong’s luxury space a relevant and informative portal online. From the city’s best fine-dining, to art and jewellery, Tatler Hong Kong continues to be a resource for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

No.3 Prestige Hong Kong
Prestige Hong Kong positions its site as an online lifestyle media of choice for the affluent and influential, high-flying corporate leaders, the city’s most eminent personalities, and Asia’s social elite.

Beauty and Fashion
No.1 Cosmopolitan.com.hk
Cosmopolitan.com.hk is the official website of the iconic Cosmopolitan, published as part of the SCMP Hearst partnership. The site bills itself as “the online hub for young women in Hong Kong”, offering them expert advice on everything from fashion to beauty, to fitness and careers.

No.2 ELLE
Offering a portal to discover the latest fashion, beauty and fitness trends, ELLE maintains an active and impressive social media following across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and is another traditional print magazine that has earned a place in the Hong Kong digital media landscape. 

 

Mobile Ad Network
No.1 Facebook
With an audience of 2.89 billion monthly active users, Facebook has an unprecedented ability to track and analyse user data. It only makes sense that its ability to help marketers create effective mobile advertising is second-to-none.

No.2 Google AdMob
AdMob remains an extremely popular option for app developers who want to monetise their mobile products by way of in-app advertising. Both developer, and user-friendly, AdMob is designed to ensure that relevant and appropriate ads are served, maximising performance for the developer, without driving users away.

No.3 Vpon
Consolidating the power of big data analytics and applications, Vpon utilises innovative machine learning and AI technology to analyse user behaviour and market trends to help marketers come up with an optimal strategy to target and reach consumers across multiple mobile advertising formats.

Print Media

 
Business Magazine
No.1 iMoney
iMoney is a member of the Hong Kong Economic Times. Established in 2007, it focuses on wealth management with content that stretches across global and local finance news, innovative business features, marketing strategies, topics that concern the workplace, and personal development.

No.2 Bloomberg Businessweek
The magazine provides information and opinions on important happenings in the world of business. Renamed to Bloomberg Businessweek in 2010, the publication provides news about markets, technology and lifestyle, and hosts editorials and opinions in its magazine and on its website.

No.3 Capital
Capital offers a wide variety of information on finance, management, lifestyle, investment, property, and more, as well as insights contributed by experts and industry leaders.

Parenting Magazine
No.1 Smart Parents
Sing Tao’s Smart Parents has once again won the title of Best Parenting Magazine. In recent years, it has become a one-stop multimedia platform for children’s education, and the most popular parent-child playground in Hong Kong. It is designed to be a guide for parents who are intent on bringing out the best in their children.

Website: std.stheadline.com/smartparents

No.2 Playtimes
Playtimes covers childcare, education, health, and food and fun activities. The publication said its magazine and the digital edition offer an honest and informative perspective on parenting in Hong Kong to help readers make the best decisions for you and your family.

No.3 Baby Magazine
A member of Pop Art Group, Baby Magazine offers information about pregnancy, raising babies, and related information.

Travel
No.1 U Travel
U Travel is one of the books distributed by U Magazine, providing the latest information and travel reports to destinations both at home and across the globe, featuring promotions and suggested itineraries. Over the past few years, U Magazine has gained increasing recognition in the media industry, achieving multiple honours for its work.

No.2 Japan Walker@HK
Previously known as Hong Kong Walker, Japan Walker@HK lays claim to being Hong Kong’s only travel magazine published by a Japanese company that is focused on Japan. It covers a wide range of topics concerning Japanese travel news, such as dining, lifestyle, destinations, and hot issues related to the country.

No.3 National Geographic
National Geographic is a magazine published by the National Geographic Society. Topics covered by this magazine include science, geography, history, and world culture. In addition to its content, the magazine is well-known for its layout with a thick square-bound glossy format with a yellow rectangular border on the cover.

Local Newspaper 
No.1 Headline Daily
Headline Daily is the only newspaper with a readership in excess of one million, and it continues to take the leading position with the largest distribution network and coverage, occupying the first position among newspapers in Hong Kong. Over the years, Headline Daily has been providing quality news, leisure and entertainment information via its multimedia platforms to reach target audiences.

Website: hd.stheadline.com

No.2 South China Morning Post
The readership of the South China Morning Post and Sunday Morning Post has a reach of 350,000. The South China Morning Post’s circulation is 105,347, while the Sunday Morning Post’s circulation is 82,117. More than half of its readers are aged 39 or below.

No.3 am730
The free Chinese-language newspaper am730 is distributed from Monday to Friday and covers local, international, entertainment, fashion, and travel news, while providing content on its website and mobile app as well.

Out of Home Media

No.1 JCDecaux Transport
JCDecaux Transport has now secured a place in the OOH Media top three for six consecutive years. The company has been managing the ad sales concessions for the MTR for more than 30 years, and for the Hong Kong International Airport since 1998.

No.2 POAD
POAD retains its place on the list of this year’s top three in the OOH category. It is the operator of the Cross Harbour Tunnel advertisement boards, billboards across prominent spaces in Hong Kong’s business districts, and taxi advertisements

No.3 Asiaray Media Group
The out-of-home media company has worked with a number of Hong Kong brands such as MTR and High Speed Rail. Its work can be seen across various platforms such as billboards, LED walls, shopping malls, bus shelters and MTR stations.

TV Broadcasters and Radio

TV Broadcasters
No. 1 ViuTV
In its sixth year of operation, ViuTV has taken the TV world by storm and has already become the favourite choice for local marketers. It offers various types of programming throughout the day, including news and public affairs, lifestyle, documentaries, and overseas content.

No.2 Now TV
Now TV is a pay television provider, and the largest in Hong Kong. While most of its programming is in English, Cantonese or putonghua, it also offers some programming in Hindi and French.

No.3 Hong Kong Cable Television
The company has won the multi-year contract with MTR to be the exclusive commercial airtime sales distributor and content provider for intrain TV through to 2023. The services will be further expanded to the Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Tseung Kwan O Line, and the Tuen Ma Line.

Radio
No.1 Commercial Radio 2
Commercial Radio 2 targets a younger audience and offers a wide range of music and entertainment programmes. It also launches the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation ceremony every year, one of the most well-received awards ceremonies for the city’s music industry.

No.2 Commercial Radio 1
Commercial Radio 1 offers programmes about current affairs, traffic, and financial information. It also has many talk shows, interactive phone-in programmes, as well as some cultural and drama programmes.

No.3 Metro Finance
Metro Finance is a Cantonese channel offering financial information for audiences in the city, and worldwide, providing them with accurate and real-time information about the global financial markets.