POVs
Affirming the Value of ABC’s Consolidated Media Report: A Publisher’s Perspective
A Point of View By Jill Manee, Vice President and Publisher, The Ad Age Group
In August, ABC and Advertising Age released the first Consolidated Media Report (CMR) in our industry. As the publisher of Advertising Age and a member of the publisher committee that vetted this report, as well as a member of the ABC board of directors, I think it is important to share with you why I support CMR and what the release of such a report means to the B2B advertising community.
The concept behind CMR is simple. As the media landscape changes, B2B media companies are increasingly focusing on the targeted reach of their brands across a variety of channels—not just print. Just as publishers are looking to engage readers across several media channels, advertisers see value in reaching their prospective customers across these same channels.
Business publishers and advertisers wanted a way to see this audited audience data in an integrated summary document. As a forum of publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies, ABC was in the perfect position to create a report to do just that. CMR allows publishers to verify the auditing of multichannel media brands. Advertisers can use CMR to view this activity and determine if any or all of these channels are best for them. Because ABC audits all of the data on the CMR report, advertisers know it is trustworthy and credible.
So what’s all the fuss about? Some in the newspaper industry thought CMR was targeted at them and immediately jumped to criticize it. Today, CMR is only for business publications. Those in other media segments will use the ABC forum to determine what is best for their constituents. There is also confusion surrounding the “Total Audience Reach” figure. This figure is reached by combining top-line data from several ABC audit services, such as traditional circulation, pass-along receivership and Web site activity. The report clearly states that this is a gross number and that no attempts have been made to eliminate duplication. It is not a net number, nor has it been positioned as a net number as some have suggested.
ABC is a community of publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies working together for the benefit of the entire media industry. Our industry is constantly changing—adapting to market conditions, technological advancements, and the needs of marketers to reach target audiences in new and more effective ways. ABC’s Consolidated Media Report reflects that and, in my opinion, takes an important step forward for all of us involved in B2B marketing. It may not yet be a perfect document, but it is a good starting point for those who want to continue the conversation on evolving media metrics. We welcome your participation in this important process.
For more information, members are encouraged to contact at (847) 879-8294
About ABC
With more than 4,000 members in North America, ABC is a forum of the world’s leading magazine and newspaper publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. The organization provides credible, verified information essential to the media buying and selling process. ABC maintains the world’s foremost electronic database of audited-circulation information and an array of verified readership, subscriber demographics and online activity data. To learn more, visit www.accessabc.com.
Jill Manee joined the ABC board of
directors in 2002. She serves on ABC’s
Annual Conference, Operations and Site
Committees and chairs the Business/
Farm Publication Committee. As the
vice president and publisher of The Ad
Age Group, Manee is responsible for all
editorial and business aspects of The Ad
Age Group including Advertising Age,
Creativity, AdAge.com, AdCritic.com
and adageglobal.com.