AUDITING: THE PROS AND CONS
Yesterday's news of a 7.65 per cent circulation decline for The Bangkok Post is probably a good barometer of the state of print media in Thailand, but as the only independently audited publication of any kind it's the only barometer we have.
Auditing removes any doubts surrounding the number of copies a newspaper or magazine sells. We know for a fact that The Bangkok Post averaged 58,441 copies per day during the six months ending 31 December 2008. But what about its chief rival The Nation? How many copies does it sell? The publisher may claim xx,000 copies but it's a claim that cannot be substantiated.
I've written before about one magazine that claims to sell 50,000 copies per month, yet I know for a fact it only prints 5,000 copies and distributes just half that number to book shops. And that's the problem with auditing in a country like Thailand. The forensic detail an audit can provide may actually benefit those publications that choose not to audit.
For sure The Bangkok Post can say with absolute honesty how many copies it sells, but if I were in competition with them I would right now revising my own media kit to show a circulation rise. No one would know any different.
2 comments:
Do you think there is a tipping point where consumers demand verified claims?
David. I don't think the demands will come from consumers, moreover they will likely come from advertisers who will come to understand the importance of truth.
It's not easy for a publication to undergo an audit. ABC, which audits The Post, is UK based and not interested in auditing any other titles in Thailand. That only leaves BPA and I've had three or four meetings with them over the past couple of years about auditing. There are many issues that will need to be overcome.
I think the best way would be for media buyers and ad agencies to, for example, say that from 1 January 2010 they will ONLY advertise with publications with either an ABC or BPA audit. That would give publishers, distributors and retailers time to get things in order.
The big brands demand such transparency in other parts of the world and I truly think it is only a matter of time before it happens here too.
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