Consolidated Media Report (CMR)

A consolidated media report (CMR) is available to business publication members of ABC. The CMR allows publisher to extend ABC reporting beyond circulation to include pass-along receivership, Web site activity, and other auditable media to report a “Total Gross Contacts” figure.

A prototype of a sample CMR and information on how to sign up for this report service can be found on ABC’s Web site.

As of the March 2007 ABC board of directors meeting, rules and guidelines pertaining to the reporting of a CMR include the following. (Rule may be found at Rule D 13.3 Consolidated Media Report)

• Data sources reported on a CMR must be auditable sources and may include:
  • ABC circulation data
  • ABCi Web site activity
  • Pass-along receivership
  • Newsletter distribution
  • Tradeshow/Event attendees
• All sources must be homogenous in terms of editorial content when compared to the ABC member publication.
• Publisher must offer a complete advertising buy for all media reported on the CMR.
• A CMR will contain notation as to data presented as being “gross” and no effort has been made to eliminate any duplicate delivery.
• “Total Gross Contacts” will be used within the CMR to describe the aggregate figure of all media being reported.

For publisher’s electing to report ABCi Web site activity data, the following information will need to be considered in making this reporting.

1. Definition of Total Registered Users:
   All users completing a basic user profile and requesting access to a Web site, who have provided a valid e-mail address and/or identifying demographic data that is not over three years old.
2. Registration Information:
   Records as to the registration dates, re-qualification dates and/or user profile modifications must be available for auditor review. If the publisher reports “Total Registered Users”, they must also disclose predominately on the report, the number of total registered users accessing the Web site during the most current six-month period. Records or verifiable data must be available to connect users accessing the Web site to the database of registered users. (Cookies identifying a specific registered user, logging of registered user activity, etc.)

For publisher’s electing to report audited e-newsletter and e-mail data, the following information will need to be considering in making this reporting:

1. When reporting e-mail and newsletter net delivery, publishers must take the gross distribution less any errors/bounce backs identified during the distribution process.
2. In cases where a third-party vendor is used to send, track and report e-mail and newsletter delivery, there needs to be a level of due diligence performed. This could take the form of an in-depth review of the third-party’s technology and processes by ABCi or a high level review of the third-party vendor’s technology and processes by a reputable independent party (such as an SAS 70 review by a public accounting firm). These reviews would need to take place at least annually- or as findings dictate- and determined satisfactory by ABC.
3. For those publishers and organizations running “in-house” delivery and tracking systems for e-mail and newsletters, members are reminded and encouraged to have a process review conducted by ABC Interactive.

Both a buyer* and publisher* POV on the Consolidated Media Report are available.

Posted 04/04/07