Our History

For more than 90 years, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has served as the trusted industry standard in audited circulation figures. This commitment began at the turn of the century, a time when unscrupulous business practices dominated the publishing industry and made it difficult for advertisers and publishers to form effective partnerships.

Determined to end deceptive practices, advertisers, advertising agencies and publishers united to establish an industry watchdog to independently verify circulation. In 1914, the world’s first circulation auditing organization, ABC, was established in Chicago. ABC offices have been located in suburban Schaumburg, Illinois since 1980.

Since that time, the advertising and publishing communities have relied on ABC to verify and report circulation data for print media: newspapers, consumer magazines, farm and business publications.

In today’s multimedia landscape ABC is constantly evolving to reflect the needs of the marketplace by providing verification for more than just circulation claims. In addition ABC also audits freestanding inserts, Web site traffic, interactive ad delivery, and readership and subscriber studies.

Leading advertisers and advertiser agencies continue to depend on the ABC “gold standard” for making media buying decisions. Publishers use ABC-audited data to manage circulation and Web site activity to develop competitive marketing strategies. For both buyers and sellers, ABC offers a valuable forum for collaboration on current market issues and the rules that govern them.

Here are some of the products in ABC’s multimedia portfolio:

Our Stance

• ABC is the world’s first and largest circulation-auditing organization.
• ABC is a not-for-profit, tripartite organization composed of publisher, advertiser and advertising agency members.
• ABC audits the vast majority of daily newspapers in North America.
• ABC audits consumer magazines, and business and farm publications—consisting of paid, non-paid direct request and free circulation.
• ABC holds the “gold standard” in media auditing since its founding nearly a century ago.
• ABC maintains the world’s foremost database of verified media information, much of which is available online.
• ABC disseminates data in a range of print and electronic formats.
• ABC audits are in-depth examinations of publisher’s records; assuring buyers that circulation claims are accurate and verifiable.

Our Mission

ABC is dedicated to being the world's pre-eminent self-regulatory auditing organization, responsible to advertisers, advertising agencies, and the media they use, for the independent verification and dissemination of our members' circulation, readership, Web site activity and audience information.

ABC will conduct audits that represent the industry standard for integrity, objectivity, and accuracy, and will use state-of-the-art techniques to produce and disseminate ABC-audited information.

ABC is committed to its tripartite member organization, to anticipating and exceeding the needs of our members, and to providing the audited data that enable them to plan, purchase, and sell media advertising with confidence.

Our Core Beliefs

We must remain constantly vigilant to the changing needs of the advertising marketplace and develop reporting standards, verification procedures, and dissemination vehicles that address these needs in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

We must provide a forum that allows for a balance of interest between the buyers and sellers of advertising within a not-for-profit, tripartite organization.

We must continue to develop technological resources that enhance the accuracy, breadth, and timeliness of ABC verification and reporting services. Our goal is to provide the audited information our members need in the most useful, relevant formats.

It is the men and women of ABC—our members, our board of directors and our staff—who will continue to preserve our credibility through their commitment to the highest levels of integrity and objectivity.

We must acknowledge the needs of these individuals and will reward their contributions.

Member Services/Resources

As a member of ABC you are entitled to indispensable information from ABC’s centralized database, use of the ABC logo, access to custom training programs and exposure to the latest news in the media industry.

Additional benefits:

• Access to three years of electronic Publisher’s Statements and Audit Reports (Appropriate charges may apply)
• Electronic files of your reports to download and reproduce
• Publicity and subscription offer reviews
• Access to free tutorials on e-Data products
• Voting privileges
• Professional development tutorials

Board of Directors

Members

Offices

Headquarters:
900 N. Meacham Road, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173-4968
T: 847.605.0909 F: 847.605.0483

New York:
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 807, New York, New York 10168-0899
T: 212.867.8992 F: 212.867.8947

Canada:
151 Bloor Street West, Suite 850, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1S4
T: 416.962.5840 F: 416.962.5844