iewPoint | Volume 2 | Number 10 | October 2006
A forum for news about Verified and the business in which we thrive.

This Month's Features:
Verified Would Like to Welcome...
New Online Member Forum
Return Rate Survey: How Does Your Publication Stack Up?
Anti-Drunk Driving Ads Detour Print
Alternative Weeklies Use Their Website to Gain Readers
Events Calendar
Tips & Techniques: Avoid Common Audit Mistakes
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Verified Would Like to Welcome...

Townfavorites.com
Tigris Inc.
Baton Rouge, LA
Townfavorites.com, a monthly publication, is available in print at convenient locations in the Greater Baton Rouge area and online at www.townfavorites.com. It's a delightfully entertaining magazine with a local touch. From your horoscope to the social scene, you'll find it in this magazine.



New Online Member Forum

Verified has established a new online forum in which to expand communications among publishers and members of the advertising industry. We encourage all of our clients and associate members to join in.

Benefits of forum participation
  • Talk to other industry professionals
  • Get new ideas and refine old ones
  • Keep up with current events
  • Make new contacts
  • Generate new business leads and learn about new opportunities


    • How to Join
    To join the forum, go to our Website at www.verifiedaudit.com and click on Members. From the drop-down menu, click Verified Forum. This will take you directly to the forum log-on page. If this is your first visit, you will need to register.

    Registration takes just a few minutes. Shortly after you've filled out and submitted the registration form, you will receive a welcome email. Join any forum and jump right in. Share your knowledge, present your ideas, ask questions—this forum is for you.



    Our Forum Moderator
    Jim Desser, Verified's Chief Operating Officer, joined Verified Audit Circulation in 1982. He has been instrumental in leading Verified's innovations in circulation reporting, field auditing, verification, information processing, and market research.

    Jim has played an important role in applying technology to traditional auditing and research, while maintaining Verified's high standards of accuracy and integrity. He has championed many of Verified's innovative products and processes. Jim received a B.A. from UCLA. He resides in Mill Valley, California.



    Return Rate Survey: How Does Your Publication Stack Up?

    Have you ever wondered how your publication's return rate compares to your competitor's? To other publications of the same size? To others in your market? Careful management of returns is a critical part of a publication's overall circulation strategy. Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey regarding return rates.

    Please click here to take the survey now!


    Survey results will be published in a future issue of Viewpoint.



    Anti-Drunk Driving Ads Detour Print

    The largest-ever federally funded advertising campaign to combat drunk driving is taking a detour around print media.

    The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) $11 million ad campaign is the largest advertising campaign designed to combat drunk driving ever. However, print isn't included in the media mix. The DOT said the ads, in both English and Spanish, will run only on television, radio and the Internet.

    The ads "will run nationally on programs viewed primarily by 21- to 34-year-old males," the DOT said. According to data released by the DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the highest percentage of drivers in alcohol-related fatal crashes was for male drivers ages 21 to 34 (33%), followed by males age 35 to 44 (25%). The creative concepts were based on focus group findings that determined the target group is most concerned with the monetary consequences of a drunk driving arrest and conviction.

    The Ad Council recently tested a new proprietary email marketing technology capable of delivering public service ads (PSAs) fully embedded within the email so that there is no attachment, no downloading, and no need for streaming or buffering. The new technology is called Vismail™. "Drunk driving is one of America's deadliest crimes," said the DOT's acting secretary, Maria Cino. "Our message is simple: If you drive drunk, you will be arrested."



    Alternative Weeklies Use Their Website to Gain Readers

    Twenty-five of the 90 alternative weeklies surveyed by The Media Audit have collectively added more than two million readers via their websites, says a recent MediaAudit release.

    Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics, said "These are not gross website visitor numbers, they represent the net gain from the websites." According to Jordan, the alternative weeklies didn't immediately embrace websites "but most eventually became aggressive and achieved some very impressive gains."

    Thirty-one of the 90 alternatives surveyed added more than 30,000 new readers through their websites. Jordan notes, "It's not just the big weeklies that have made the gains (via the Web)."

    The report shows that the weekly New York Village Voice attracts 556,500 readers each month but after elimination of those who also read the print edition the publication's net gain is 242,896.

    The 4-edition cume for Columbus Alive (Ohio) is 133,100 readers. Through their website, they achieved a net gain of 55,627. "That's a significant gain in reach for any publication," says Jordan.

    Only 26 of the 90 alternative weeklies covered in the survey failed to gain at least 10,000 new readers via their websites. And only 33 of the weeklies have fewer than 200,000 readers after adding the net gain from their websites, concludes the report.

    Weeklies That Achieved Net Readership Gains via Their Websites of at Least 30,000
     Net Additions
    New York Village Voice242,896
    LA Weekly222,796
    OC Weekly151,286
    New York Long Island Press131,559
    SF Weekly118,922
    New York Press111,915
    Chicago Reader102,130
    San Francisco East Bay Express98,451
    San Francisco Bay Guardian96,079
    Dallas Observer77,300
    Houston Press73,708
    Seattle Weekly62,843
    Columbus Alive55,627
    Detroit Metro Times52,211
    Philadelphia Weekly51,915
    Miami City Link51,042
    Chicago New City49,062
    Washington City Paper48,776
    Columbus The Other Paper47,697
    Minneapolis City Pages46,259
    Miami New Times45,090
    San Antonio Current44,188
    Salt Lake City Weekly43,142
    Orlando Weekly43,055
    Austin Chronicle41,795
    Atlanta Creative Loafing36,186
    Baltimore City Paper35,795
    Greensboro Go Triad32,783
    Philadelphia City Paper32,632
    San Diego Reader31,200
    San Diego City Beat30,397


    Source: The Media Audit.
    © 2006 MediaPost Communications



    Events Calendar

    Suburban Newspaper Association Circulation Manager's Conference
    November 7–8, 2006
    Radisson Hotel & Suites, Chicago, IL
    www.suburban-news.org

    Jennifer Armor, Verified's Audit Manager, will be attending the SNA conference. Jennifer will be happy to answer any of your questions and talk about the valuable services Verified provides.

    Stanford Publishing Courses: Publishing on the Web
    November 12–16, 2006
    Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, CA
    www.publishingcourses.stanford.edu

    Society of National Association Publications 2006 Annual Publication Conference
    November 15–16, 2006
    Holiday Inn Chicago, Chicago, IL
    www.snaponline.org

    ILM:06 Interactive Local Media
    November 29–December 1, 2006
    Sheraton Philadelphia City Center, Philadelphia, PA
    www.kelseygroup.com

    If you have an event that you would like to announce, please send your information to e-newsletter@verifiedaudit.com.



    Tips & Techniques: Avoid Common Audit Mistakes

    Here are some simple ways to avoid the most common mistakes encountered during an audit:

    Don't procrastinate.
    Make sure to retain and organize your documentation throughout the year (i.e., printer invoices, route sheets, statements of mailing, etc.). We recommend that you create a separate binder or folder for your audit material. Put copies or originals of all records needed for the audit in the folder every week. Don't leave it to the last minute.

    Act on recommendations promptly.
    Review the audit summary letter right away and implement the recommended changes as soon as possible. Work with your staff and contractors to help them carry out the improvements. If you wait too long, you can perpetuate the problems.

    Take control.
    Manage your contractors carefully. Make sure that they are providing you with the documentation you'll need for the audit on a regular basis. You're paying the bills.

    Report regularly.
    Your Quarterly Printing and Distribution Report and a Circulation Analysis by ZIP/Postal Code are required for your audit. If your audit is scheduled prior to the end of the reporting period, have your QPD filled out to the most recent issue. Regular reporting makes the job easier, allows Verified to issue reports promptly, and contributes to a successful audit.

    Keep in touch.
    Keep in touch with Verified throughout the year. Let Verified know if there is a change of address, new contact person, different distribution day, etc. We welcome your questions or concerns–we're here to help.

    It's easy to avoid common pitfalls by following the steps listed above. You'll save time, effort, and frustration, and you'll make the audit process flow smoothly.


    Please send comments and story ideas to e-newsletter@verifiedaudit.com or contact us at:

    Verified Audit Circulation
    900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 295
    Larkspur, CA 94939-1758
    Phone: (415) 461-6006
    Fax: (415) 461-6007
    © 2006 Verified Audit Circulation.