Audit ServicesCirculation
Insert Verification Service
Measure and market the accuracy of your newspaper’s Free Standing Insert (FSI) insertion and distribution practices and give yourself and your advertisers the increased confidence of verified FSI distribution data. By participating in the Insert Verification Service, your newspaper will achieve greater visibility and credibility as a FSI distribution source, and ensure maximum return on investment for your advertising partners.
About the IVS Audit Program
The IVS audit program is comprised of two different audits: a quantitative audit that determines the newspapers proficiency rating and pass/fail notation and a qualitative audit that extends the shelf life of the audit report from two years to three years.
For the quantitative audit that results in the newspaper’s proficiency rating and pass/fail notation, ABC auditors identify specific home-delivery and single-copy routes to include in the test. Each selected route has at least one insert package reviewed by an auditor and the publisher’s personnel. The auditor ensures that the acquired insert packages are specifically designated for the sampled routes by intercepting each package at the latest stage of the process prior to actual delivery to households and retail outlets. Each sampled package is then compared to the schedule of inserts for that route for the test date. Errors (missing inserts, incorrect versions or incorrect inclusions) are identified and used in an error calculation to determine the newspaper’s proficiency rating and its pass/fail notation.
Newspapers that achieve a 96 percent proficiency rating pass the quantitative audit. For newspapers that have a proficiency rating above 96 percent but less than 98 percent, the shelf life of the audit report is two years. Newspapers that attain a 98 percent proficiency rating or higher pass the quantitative audit and are eligible to extend the shelf-life of their IVS audit report to three years with a less costly, less intrusive qualitative audit that reviews the newspaper’s internal controls and processes.For the Audit
In addition to traditional circulation records, the auditor requires access to other records pertaining to your newspaper’s insert practices. Examples of these records include insert advertising schedules identifying specific advertising zones to which each insert is intended to be delivered, a listing of inserts to be included in each home-delivery and single-copy route, or listings of known shortages or inserts ‘out of spec,’ for example.
For the qualitative IVS audit, newspapers will need to complete the publisher's statement of insert practices and procedures.
The Audit Reports
A final report is issued within four weeks of the test date and carries a two to three-year shelf life, depending on the newspaper’s proficiency rating. A prototype report is available.
Reports are available to ABC members in ABC’s e-Data center.
Pricing
2012 IVS Audits
While ABC’s 2012 IVS audit schedule is open and flexible, newspaper publishers are encouraged to enroll now to secure a desired audit date. A date can be coordinated with ABC up to 12 months in advance. Publishers will be invoiced 90 days before their audit begins or may take advantage of ABC's flexible payment plan option.
ABC’s Insert Verification Service in an optional program highly recommended for all major metro newspaper members. The cost of the service is based on the time, materials and expenses associated with completion of the verification.
The average cost of an IVS audit is nearly 20 percent less than when the program launched in 2006. Typical audits begin at just $9,000, plus the auditors’ travel expenses such as airfare and hotel. The reduction in price reflects ABC’s ongoing efforts to increase efficiencies and reduce costs for all of its audit programs.
ABC also offers a flexible payment plan that allows you to spread the cost of the IVS audit program over a three-year period so you can better plan and budget for upcoming audit expenses. For example, if the total cost of Anytown News’ three-year IVS audit program was $15,000, it could choose to pay for the audit in three yearly installments of $5,000.
For a customized quote or audit questions, please contact at (224) 366-6375.
Enrollment
For enrollment and general information, please contact at (224) 366-6412 or at 224-366-6356.
Related Links:
- IVS enrollment form
- Prototype: IVS Report (PDF*)
- Qualitative IVS Publisher's Statement Form
- FAQs
- Participating newspapers
- IVS testimonials
- Insert Verification Service Analysis Tool
- IVS and CDVS comparison
