Magazine publishers to test reader metrics

US-- Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) is to improve its audience measurement capabilities, to track reader exposure, engagement and action.

MPA has been working with industry representatives and management consultancy McKinsey to find ways to improve measurement. The organisation's president and CEO Nina Link told Research: “This is the only media bought primarily on circulation not audience.”

MPA plans to introduce syndicated issue-by-issue reporting including key demographic data, as well as recall measurement for individual ads, and purchase intent for all ads.

Before making the changes, the organisation will be working with the advertising and research communities to improve the quality of online survey techniques, enhance existing metrics and develop best practices.

It plans to start reporting data within six to eight weeks for weekly titles and eight to 12 weeks for monthlies among the top 200 magazines. MPA says it hopes to extend measurement to more titles and shorten the timetable further through predictive modelling.

Link said the aim of the initiative was to develop a set of metrics “that more accurately reflects and conveys the value of magazines to advertisers”. “This is to get us on a level playing field with other media, as well as serving publishers who are putting together cross platform packages,” she said.

There is likely to be a transition period during which the new system will run parallel to existing measurement methods, Link said.

Author: Robert Bain

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‘Intelligent' magazines to measure readership