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Case Studies

Every Day with Rachael Ray Uses Initial Audit Report to Gain Credibility and Legitimacy within the Advertising Community

Situation

In 2005 Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (RDA) launched a new lifestyle magazine bearing the vision of popular Food Network personality Rachael Ray. The inaugural issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray sold 674,000 copies, 93 percent more than its guaranteed rate base.

Issue

With previous experience launching new titles, RDA knew it was important to immediately establish Every Day with Rachael Ray’s legitimacy within the advertising community. As a start-up publication, the magazine also needed a way to substantiate the rapid growth it was claiming.



Solution

Every Day with Rachael Ray engaged the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) to verify its circulation claims.

Results

With the Initial Audit Report in hand, Every Day with Rachael Ray’s ad sales team was able to validate the circulation of its launch issue and the significant rate base bonus it delivered to launch issue advertisers. The magazine’s willingness to audit the launch issue also demonstrated to advertisers that Every Day with Rachael Ray was here to stay and created a sense of confidence within the advertising community that the magazine had long-term potential.

Today’s media buyers have more selections than ever when it comes to choosing the magazines that deliver their critical messages to consumers. RDA knew that the launch issue of a new publication was critical to the long-term success of its new magazine and showed its confidence in Every Day with Rachael Ray by immediately enrolling in an ABC audit.

Once Ellen Dellicolli, senior circulation analyst at RDA, submitted the application for membership, ABC quickly notified its members that Every Day with Rachael Ray intended to be ABC-audited. Dellicolli said that the ad sales team and the advertising community were waiting for the announcement to aid the buying and selling process. After the initial audit was complete, Every Day with Rachael Ray immediately filed its Publisher’s Statement for the subsequent period to demonstrate its rapid growth to advertisers.

“We had an existing relationship with ABC and feel that ABC is well-respected,” said Dellicolli. “The ABC stamp of approval is widely accepted in the advertising community.”

The Initial Audit Report played an integral role in the success of Every Day with Rachael Ray’s advertising sales plan and success.

“The Initial Audit Report provides important support for the Every Day with Rachael Ray advertising sales effort,” said Christine Guilfoyle, publisher, Every Day with Rachael Ray. “Audited circulation guarantees are an essential tool for launch publications, ensuring advertisers that their investment in the new magazine is warranted.

“The initial audit also provided the necessary baseline from which Every Day with Rachael Ray’s phenomenal rate base growth could be measured—a trajectory that has been widely reported in the advertising trade press,” continued Guilfoyle.

“Finally, the Initial Audit Report, as well as Every Day with Rachael Ray’s participation in ABC Rapid Report, supplied the substantiation and credibility that directly contributed to the title’s sweep of the ‘Launch of the Year’ honors from Advertising Age, MIN and Adweek,” concluded Guilfoyle.


For more information on ABC membership, contact a member of the marketing and sales department at (847) 605-0909 or visit ABC’s Web site at www.accessabc.com.