AAM board approves range of cost-saving rule modifications

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The Board of Directors of the Alliance for Audited Media recently made a number of rule and reporting changes to help publishers reduce audit and recordkeeping costs, improve advertisers' access to relevant data and reinforce AAM's leadership as a cross-channel, data-centric media auditing organization. The board also endorsed several strategic recommendations to enhance AAM's digital auditing services and build a foundation for the future.

The AAM board recognizes that the rapidly changing ways in which newspaper publishers market their content across multiple print and digital platforms are not fully reflected in its current membership rules, which require 70 percent of a newspaper's circulation to be paid. To better address the growth in freely distributed content found in smartphone and tablet apps, home-delivered coupon circulars and independent newspapers delivered for free, the board agreed to conduct a member advisory vote in August. The ballot will ask U.S. and Canadian newspaper publishers to support two potential changes to AAM's membership eligibility requirements: eliminating verified digital editions when considering membership qualification or eliminating the paid circulation requirement entirely. 

Additional newspaper actions:

For nearly two years, a group of U.S. newspaper publishers and buyers worked together to establish guidelines for filing more frequent circulation, digital and ZIP code data. Beginning with the December 2013-ending quarter, U.S. newspapers with average daily circulation of 25,000 or more will file quarterly top-line circulation metrics (including paragraph 1A data) and ZIP code distribution. Publishers are encouraged to report other auditable cross-channel digital and audience metrics, such as those found on Consolidated Media Reports, on a quarterly basis also.  

Following initial approval in March, U.S. newspapers with circulation over 50,000 are no longer required to report a Monday through Friday average beginning with the September 2013 reporting period. A five-day average will be optional, and AAM reports will continue to have averages for each weekday. 

When AAM acquired the Certified Audit of Circulations (CAC) in 2012, the groups agreed that CAC would adopt AAM's U.S. newspaper report format to synchronize reports for a searchable, unified database. To align CAC and AAM Data, AAM reports may include nonpaid circulation beginning with the September 2014 period.  U.S. newspapers will have three circulation categories: paid, verified and other audited circulation.

Following its merger with AAM, CAC is expected to launch a newly designed website in mid-August.

Strategic roadmap:

The AAM board endorsed several strategic recommendations to enhance AAM's digital auditing services and build a foundation for the future. These include expanding the organization's product offerings, increasing investment in staffing and training, funding industry initiatives to promote digital accountability, and continuing to enhance AAM's newly redesigned Media Intelligence Center, which has received strong support from publishers and media buyers alike. More details on these initiatives are expected to be announced this fall.

Other actions:

AAM celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2014. To dedicate appropriate resources to a year-long series of local events and member initiatives, the board agreed to cancel the 2013 AAM annual conference scheduled for Toronto in November. Additional details about member divisional meetings will be released in the fall. The board also approved a 1.8 percent increase for audit rates and fees as well as for advertising agency dues for 2014. This is only the second such increase in eight years.

The AAM board of directors meeting was held July 17-19.

Alliance for Audited Media, Certified Audit of Circulations
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