NAA/ABC Circulation Subcommittee’s Guide to Verified Circulation
Verified circulation, a key category of the new ABC metric “total circulation,” captures an important and growing slice of the newspaper audience. Research has proved that verified circulation, paid or free, has the potential to build readership beyond the traditional bounds of paid circulation and can bring in new audiences previously outside of the traditional methods of marketing the newspaper.
Advertisers value the reach of these products, and reporting verified circulation is necessary to convey the total reach of the newspaper portfolio of products and the multitude of sales channels.
This guide, a product of the NAA/ABC Circulation Subcommittee, explains how to use the newest categories of circulation reporting to expand and enhance your company’s brand, provides new measurements of audience metrics and gives the details needed to get it done effectively within the ABC reporting process.
The publication was designed in multiple, easy-to-use sections:
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An introduction, titled “Verified Circulation – Expanding Your Brand”
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The comprehensive “nuts and bolts” section includes an explanation of the reporting guidelines, and a “Do’s and Don’ts of Verified Circulation” with tips for developing verified programs.
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Case studies from four contributing newspapers, which show how individual newspapers took the new guidelines from concept to execution to create and market products for select audiences, and how each newspaper successfully proceeded through the audit process.
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An interview with Alison Albrecht, of Stage stores, brings the advertiser perspective. A member of ABC’s Buyer Advisory Committee and and important newspaper customer, she shares her perspective on the new reporting opportunities for newspapers and how advertisers can apply the information.
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A section of additional resources includes the buyer perspective, as well as other places to get more information.
This guide, like the earlier editions on how to optimize digital editions and report branded editions, grew from an effort by the NAA/ABC Circulation Subcommittee to assist newspapers in truly understanding the ABC reporting and qualification changes and how it creates opportunities to reach and market new audiences via new platforms.
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First Published: June 29, 2012