Many media brands started out as print publications, but now encompass a range of live events and digital media, covering web, mobile, social media, webinars, email newsletters and more. Advertising clients expect bespoke multi-channel solutions, but how can you prove the total reach of your media brands and the value and influence they have with a high quality audience?
ABC, the industry-owned body for media measurement in the UK, has developed two new certificates that are designed to help media owners prove the reach of their brands across multiple channels. Alden Arnold of ABC explains how they work and what the industry reaction has been…
Multi-Platform Certificate – single source for multiple channels
ABC is working with a number of media owners since the launch of its new Multi-Platform Certificate. This enables media owners to showcase the reach of their brand or publishing group across multiple platforms. The Multi-Platform Certificate (Brand) is for individual brands, whilst the Multi-Platform Certificate (Group) is for media owners with a number of titles in a single sector, market or geographical region. The Multi-Platform Certificate has been launched in response to the increasing diversity of business models employed and changing needs of both owners and buyers in the media industry.
With audiences interacting with media brands in many different ways, media owners want and need to demonstrate a broader view of their brand reach and performance. This new certificate from ABC allows them to highlight the full scope of their reach whilst delivering simultaneously the ability to view the performance of each platform separately. It allows a media owner, such as a Regional Publisher, to showcase reach across a geographical region, showing how they serve local communities across different platforms or a business or specialist media owner to showcase reach across a set of titles dedicated to a particular subject or sector. The certificate can be customised based on the platforms a media owner uses and wishes to report.
Media buyers benefit from an at-a-glance guide to a brand or a group, enabling them to take a holistic approach towards planning and buying their campaigns. The Multi-Platform Certificate provides them with data which is underpinned by the ABC stamp of trust, a guarantee that it adheres to industry agreed standards.
ABC standards cover a wide range of platforms including; print, exhibitions, email, newsletters, websites (including restricted access), apps, digital editions and social media. New reporting standards are constantly being developed with the support of the industry which can be included on the Multi-Platform Certificate. Social media reporting is a good example which is now available on Multi-Platform Certificates.
Our Multi-Platform Certificate contains a media owner overview, a summary of all products presented and audited data across the different platforms reported; including activity across platforms during the audit period and a detailed breakdown by media platform.
Total Audience Certificate – net audiences for business media
In June this year ABC announced the launch of a new measurement for the Business Media market . Using Industry Agreed standards, ABC’s Total Audience certificate provides a net audience figure across a range of platforms for Business Media brands including print, websites, digital editions and digital publications. The Total Audience figure is the first hybrid product offering from ABC and has been developed specifically for the Business Media market to bring industry standards and transparency to valuable audience data.
The Total Audience methodology uses data integration techniques to bring ABC and JICWEBS census data together with research data conducted according to PPA Business Media endorsed research standards to calculate the net audience of a Business Media brand.
This move comes in response to the structural shift away from print and towards new platforms that has characterised the Business Media sector in particular in recent years. This addresses Business Media owners’ desire to demonstrate net audience reach across all platforms and the needs of buyers when justifying their buying decisions across platforms.
Tim Brooks, CEO, BMJ commented: “BMJ will be one of the first to adopt the new Total Audience certificate the ABC is launching today. It offers hybrid audience measurement to industry standards, which is exactly what the B2B sector needs and wants, and demonstrates the ABC’s ability to respond to changing industry needs.”
Claire Butcher, Director, Ogilvy Primary Contact commented: “The ABC stamp of trust and PPA endorsement is at the heart of ABC’s new Total Audience certification. It’s good to see ABC innovating and working in collaboration with other experts to deliver credible solutions providing valuable trading information for the business media sector.”
Jan Pitt, Group Executive Director of Client Services at ABC commented: “Bringing brand audience figures under the umbrella of industry standards will bring greater transparency and comparability for media buyers. ABC verification facilitates the ad trading process and I am delighted that ABC can now offer Business Media owners a Total Audience Certificate.”
In a changing and increasingly fragmented market, ABC has listened to the Industry and responded to the needs of its stakeholders, producing two new products that enable media owners to demonstrate their overall reach whilst continuing to report to Industry agreed standards, delivering confidence to buyers.
ABC are a sponsor of the SIIA Digital Content & Media Summit, taking place on 23-25 September at One Wimpole St, London, and will be attending the event and providing advice and information to delegates on their new certificates.