Media monitoring organisation ABC has launched a new Multi-Platform Certification which will allow media owners to highlight their brand reach across multiple platforms, as part of their online marketing research. The plans will reveal the extent of a brand’s reach across media platforms including print, online, apps and email.
The move by auditor ABC follows a similar announcement by the National Readership Survey, which is to begin producing statistics combining newspapers’ and magazines’ print and online readership figures.
Commenting on the ’Multi-Platform Certificate’, ABC CEO Jerry Wright said: “As brands develop their offerings and have an increasing number of platforms to audit, it makes sense to consolidate the process and ensure all information can be found in one place.”
ABC will offer two certificates under the scheme; The Multi-Platform Certificate (Brand) and the Multi-Platform Certificate (Group), for individual brands and media owners with several titles, respectively.
Both certificates will be available from January, and have been introduced as a result of audiences changing their interaction with media brands in recent years, with the emergence of online and digital products, running alongside traditional printed media.
The ABC Multi-Platform Certificate will contain a media owner overview, a summary of all products presented and audited data across the different elements; including activity across platforms during the audit period and a detailed breakdown by media platform.
Claire Butcher, media director for Ogilvy Primary Contact, added: “The media industry has changed significantly. With so many platforms available, it is crucial to us, as buyers and planners, to be able to understand where our audience is. The Multi-Platform Certificate is an incredibly important development from ABC to support our campaign planning.”
Chris Pennock, group newspaper sales and marketing director, Johnston Press said his welcomed the introduction: “This product will be ideal for us to be able to showcase the reach of our brands. We look forward to working with ABC to release our first Multi-Platform Certificates.”