Reported Data - Consumer Magazines

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Reported Data

This section sets out other data and information that is reported on the ABC Certificate.

Requirements 

1. Total Average Circulation

You must report the total Average Circulation per issue analysed into UK & Republic of Ireland, and Other Countries, broken out by print and Digital Copy (as applicable), as shown below. Please refer to relevant section for more details.

2. Print and digital copies circulated to the same individual

1. You may claim a print copy and a digital copy for an issue that are circulated to the same individual in the circulation analysis and total ABC circulation. This includes the following scenarios, where the individual is known and identifiable:
   
   
   1. A sale or subscription of both a print and digital copy to the same individual (whether as a single transaction – ‘a bundled/package sale’ or separate transactions)
      
      
   2. A free print copy and a paid digital copy to the same individual
      
      
   3. A paid print copy and a free digital copy to the same individual
      
      
   4. A free print copy and a free digital copy to the same individual
      
      
2. If you include print and digital copies of an issue to the same individual in your claim, as noted in (a) above, you must report the average number of individuals that received both a print and digital copy per issue in the total average circulation for the period. This will appear as a note on the certificate and in ABC data.
   
   
   1. Where the details of the individual are not known because the circulation category’s requirements do not require it, then these copies do not need to be accounted for in the note. Examples include retail sales, Free Pick Up, Free Letterbox or circulation where you use a bespoke distribution process that we have agreed to waive the requirement for the individuals’ details to be provided.

3. Duplicate copies

1. You cannot claim duplicate copies to a known individual unless there is a category available to report them (for example Multiple Subscriptions, Paid Multiple Copies). Note:

   1. A duplicate is defined as two or more occurrences of the same name, or company name (where the addressee is not identified by name or job title) or address unless it can be shown that the copies are distributed to different individual addressees.

4. Actively Purchased Circulation

1. We will report an analysis of the paid element of the total Average Circulation which is defined as Actively Purchased, being the sum of circulation from the following categories:

   1. Paid Single Copies (Retail and Single Copy Sales)

   2. Paid Subscriptions - Individual (Single Copy Subscriptions and All You Can Read Sales)

   3. The Actively Purchased circulation will be analysed by print and Digital Copies by UK & ROI, and Other Countries.

5. Issue details, circulations and variances

1. 1. You must report for each issue in the Reporting Period the issue identifier. For example cover date, issue number

   2. We will report the percentage variance of any issue’s total circulation from the average circulation, where this is greater than 10%.

   3. You must report additional issue circulation figures as follows:

      1. For publications publishing fewer than 18 issues in a calendar year, for each issue:

         • The issue’s identifier and its total circulation*, analysed by print and digital circulation.

         • The issue’s actively purchased circulation and purchased percentage. 

      2. For publications publishing 18 or more issues in a calendar year:

         • The number of issues distributed/made available in each month (determined as detailed in the section ‘Issues to be Included).

         • The average of the total circulations* of those issues distributed in each month, analysed by print and digital circulation.

         • The average actively purchased circulation of those issues distributed in each month together with the average actively purchased percentage.  

         • *Not including any adjustments for differences between estimated and actual sales for previous periods (means these breakdowns may not equate exactly to total average net circulation).

6. You may choose to report a Group or Series Certificate

1. You may choose to report an optional Group Certificate that combines the circulations from 2 or more publications’ Certificates providing:

   1. Each Certificate relates to the same Reporting Standards

   2. Each Certificate is for the same Reporting Period
      
      Note: 

          o You may include publications with different publishing frequencies

          o ABC will produce Group Certificates from the data submitted for the constituent publications.

2. You may choose to report a Certificate for a Series of Publications where:

   1. There is evidence that the publications form part of a series and that they are not ‘one-shots’ which require separate certification.

   2. Each publication is clearly identified as part of the series by the use of a common series logo or appropriate strapline on the front cover

7. Optional Reporting

1. You may request to report additional analyses, derived from (or closely connected with) data reported on the certificate. Please see the separate section 'Optional Reporting' for further details.

Guidance

No additional guidance.