The Audit Bureau of Circulations in its March 10-13 board of directors meeting agreed to oversee changes to its Reader Profile and Subscriber Profile reports and standards.
Seeking a broader base of opinions, ABC board members now will review updates to its Reader Profile and Subscriber Profile programs, launched in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
“With guidance from our members and now the board, we are making it possible to gauge verified readership and subscriber research metrics in a way that is standardized, consistent and therefore truly relevant for the industry,” Mark Wachowicz, ABC senior vice president of marketing and sales, said in a statement.
ABC's Reader Profile and Subscriber Profile Advisory Committee previously supervised changes to these programs. The committee — comprising researchers, media buyers and newspaper and magazine members — will continue to make recommendations to the board.
Among other changes, the board voted to align rule language governing combination sales for ABC membership, particularly their publisher divisions. The update aims to streamline parameters around combination sales, boost understanding and build marketing flexibility for all members.
“Combination sales standards for all publisher constituencies not only improve publisher understanding but enhance advertiser comprehension of ABC reporting requirements,” Mike Lavery, ABC president and managing director, said in the statement.
The auditor also will expand its training programs to meet the needs of circulators and buyers as the media business continues to change. The programs educate participants on rule changes affecting the industry, with insights into the management, reporting and assessment of ABC data.
ABC's auditing professionals in the past 18 months have trained more than 2,200 media executives in the United States and Canada.
