Last week BPA’s advisory committees began reviewing the question of allowing to count as copies served those publishers’ e-mail alerts with a hyperlink to an electronic edition sent to individuals who did not request the magazine in its digital format.
BPA’s US Publishers Advisory, US Business Audience Development, US Consumer Audience Development, Fulfillment Manager Advisory and the European Audience Development/Fulfillment Advisory Committees shared their thoughts on this item.
US Audience Development Committee (ADAC)-Business. Many committee members want to see non-requested electronic editions count as qualified circulation, but realize that the media buyers and the publishers are not in favor of such a move. As a compromise, they proposed reporting non-requested electronic editions as non-qualified circulation, but allow the publishers to report additional data regarding the non-requested electronic editions in the explanatory paragraph.
The committee also suggested a working group of media buyers, publishers, audience development managers and digital magazine enablers (DMEs) be formed to begin examining the future of reporting digital magazines. The group will be facilitated by Media Ideas as a consultant to BPA on this matter.
The US Audience Development Committee (ADAC)-Consumer unanimously recommended a reaffirmation of current rules stating electronic editions must be requested to be counted as qualified circulation; however, the committee also recommended allowing non-requested electronic editions as non-qualified circulation with reporting within the average non-qualified table.
The European Audience Development/Fulfillment Advisory Committee (EADAC), with the exception of four members who abstained, also agreed to reaffirm the current rules which do not allow non-requested or non-qualified electronic circulation to be reported on the statement. The EADAC felt that inclusion would damage the value of requested electronic copies as qualified circulation in the eyes of advertisers; at present, the value of electronic versions in buyers’ is fragile.
Other BPA committees will continue to weigh in with their views on the topic until the item goes before the corporate board on May 21st for a final vote. If the option to report non-requested electronic editions as non-qualified circulation is approved by the board, it will mark the first time such data will appear on the circulation statement.
What’s your opinion?
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