At least that’s what publishers may be thinking, if the details passed on to us from our esteemed friends at media buying and planning specialist Feather Brooksbank are taken into account. Because two elections and a new picture on the calendar weren’t the only items on the public relations and marketing agenda when May arrived.
The Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) is responsible for amassing data on print titles in the United Kingdom, with the organisation certifying and releasing circulation figures each month. These then influence the real value of advertising in any publication included in the research. Needless to say, there’s some serious weight in the numbers, with titles falling thanks to poor results in the league table.
As of May 1st the ABC began offering publishers the chance to submit app activity (such as on iPads and iPhones), for inclusion with print and web-based statistics, thus opening the door to a potential increase in the worth of advertising on these fledgling formats. There has, as of yet, been little confirmation as to who will choose to take part, though a recent article in The Guardian does have a few more details, including the fact that in the US this practice has been going on for more than a year already. It’s a relief to see things finally catching up on this side of the pond, and adds to the argument that if you’re not already thinking mobile media, then it’s probably about time you did.