Metrics - Email

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Metrics and Reporting

Defined Email Newsletter communications delivered in a given period.

Principles

1. Prior registration of Email Newsletter distribution claims is required

2. Email Newsletter distribution will comprise email newsletters delivered to a valid and deliverable email address

3. Each Email Newsletter distribution will be de-duplicated by email address 

4. Additional metrics may be reported 

Requirements

1.  Prior registration of Email Newsletter distribution claims is required

   1. You must notify us of your intention to claim Email Newsletter distribution as early as possible so that we can provide advice on whether your claim is capable of being properly recorded and checked.

   2. Our approach is to understand how the email system you use measures and records your Email Newsletter distribution. We will review its configuration/implementation in order to establish that it will provide the relevant information in accordance with our Reporting Standards. This will require more audit work on our part if the claim or system used is more complex.

      1. To achieve this you will need to:

         • Confirm the particular Email Newsletter(s) to be registered and what system you use to distribute them. You may include a number of different Email Newsletters on the same certificate – for example the email newsletters for multiple brands or for your publishing company.

         • Provide us with the appropriate information to confirm metric counts and configuration settings. This may include access to the email system dashboard (on a review/read only basis) and if necessary for more complex claims, the underlying system data (e.g. logged records).

         • Include us in mailings when distributed on request.

2. Email Newsletter distribution will comprise email newsletters delivered to a valid and deliverable email address

   1. You must exclude emails that generate a hard bounce or Non-Delivery-Notification (NDN) measured at least 24 hours after the time of the last email sent in that mailing.

      1. A ‘hard bounce’ is defined as a permanent reason that an email cannot be delivered, generating a delivery failure message. For example: ‘mailbox not found’, ‘host unknown’.

      2. ‘Soft bounce’ responses can be ignored. For example: ‘delivery delayed’, ‘out of office’.

3. Each Email Newsletter distribution will be de-duplicated by email address

   • As well as excluding emails that generate a hard bounce as detailed above, you must also exclude duplicate instances of the same email address in a single mailing.
     Note:
     • ‘Single mailing’ in this context refers to a distinct issue of an Email Newsletter or timed mailing (e.g. May newsletter, or Morning Briefing). The ‘single mailing’ may be split into tranches or scheduled to be sent at different times for logistical or practical reasons.
     • You do not need to de-duplicate between separate mailings or different Email Newsletters.

4. Additional optional metrics may be reported

   1. Emails Opened

      Defined as the average number of emails included in the Email Newsletter distribution that have been opened. This can be expressed as a number or percentage.

   2. Registered Addresses

      Defined as the average number of de-duplicated, contactable email addresses in the distribution list that have requested the Email Newsletter.

   3. Other analyses derived from the metrics certified. For example: averages, ratios, figures per newsletter, figures per month etc. We reserve the right to require appropriate explanations/descriptions to be added to any such optional information. 

Reporting

1. You must report Email Newsletter distribution for the relevant Reporting Period

1. The Reporting Period may be either:

   1. In the case of a single mailing, the date(s) on which the mailing was sent; or

   2. A whole calendar month or any combination of consecutive calendar months (up to a maximum of 12).

2. To remain registered you must report Email Newsletter distribution for certification at least once a year, as follows:

   1. Within 12 months of registering with ABC

   2. Subsequent certificates must have Reporting Period end dates that are within 12 months of each other. For example: a certificate for a period ending 31st December 2021 must be followed by a certificate ending no later than 31st December 2022.

2. You must report the number and average distribution per mailing of each Email Newsletter distributed in the period

1. For each Email Newsletter you must report:

   1. Email Newsletter name/description

   2. Average distribution per mailing

   3. Number of mailings in the period

2. You may report two or more Email Newsletters on a single certificate (these can be from different brands), providing each is reported to the same Reporting Period. They will be listed individually with a figure for each. For example:
   

   Newsletter name	Distribution (Average per mailing)	Number of mailings
   Fashion Update	12,000	10
   Travel Update	10,000	12
   Weekly Briefing	5,000	50

    

3. The registered name for the product must appropriately describe the Email Newsletter(s) included.

3. You may report optional metrics

1. You may optionally report:

   1. Other industry-agreed metrics, including Emails Opened, Registered Addresses. See section ‘requirements’ section 4 above for definitions.

   2. Other analyses, including averages ratios, figures per newsletter/month etc.

4. You may optionally report a description of the product and its content

1. This statement will be verified at audit. For example: ‘Our monthly fashion and travel newsletters include features, offers and competitions. The weekly briefings provide up-to-date digest of key news events.' Note: This statement is not to contain market comparisons or distribution claims.