ABC votes to include audit data on digital edition sales
Digital editions of Australian newspapers and magazines will now be included in data published by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the industry has voted.
It means that iPad app sales, replica digital editions and paid website readers will be officially recorded in ABC numbers for the first time.
Sales since the beginning of this year will be included in the next set of numbers, covering January to March and due to be released in May.
The ABC is claiming a world first with an average Total Paid Masthead Sales metric, which will also include insights into print only sales, digital only sales and packaged print and digital subscription sales. Traffic on websites that are not behind paywalls will not be included in the new data.
ABC chief executive Paul Dovas told Mumbrella that the new rules are the biggest change since the ABC was created nearly 80 years ago.
Sister organisation CAB, the Circulations Audit Board – which includes titles which are distributed free of charge to the reader – is also examining a rules change and could follow suit within months, Dovas told Mumbrella
Dovas said: “The new metrics recognise the emergence of digital publishing and in particular the changing nature of how masthead-branded content, in the form of text and images, is consumed across print and digital platforms.”
The moves come weeks after Fairfax and News Limited shared data on their online audiences.
ABC chairman Dr Stephen Hollings said: “The new rules will literally redefine media reporting in Australia, providing the media industry with a de-duplicated figure of total masthead branded content sales. This is a landmark change that responds to the needs of media buyers and advertisers.”
Simon Davies, head of print at OMD Sydney and the MFA representative on the ABC sub-committee, said: “With the introduction of these rules, ABC members have recognised the evolution of print media and the growing sales of digital formats. With this more granular sales data, advertising agencies and clients will be able to make better informed buying decisions.”
Scott McClellan, CEO of the Australian Association of National Advertisers, said: “The rules that come into effect today are a true game-changer that will provide greater transparency in media reporting and help advertisers gain a better understanding of the media with whom they are engaging.”
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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