Verified Audit Circulation
Encyclopedia
Verified Audit Circulation is a U.S. company that conducts circulation audit
s of both free and paid print publications and of traffic
figures for website
s. The company also provides custom research and verifies field delivery of products such as yellow pages
, branded delivery bags and door
hangers.
Independent audit firms like Verified Audit Circulation work with publication circulation figures provided by their publisher clients, in order to verify or adjust these circulation numbers, based on examining a publication’s printing
and financial records. Field research
may also be conducted to confirm circulation figures. Circulation audit findings are compiled and released in audit report
s, which advertisers use to make decisions about advertising
placements.
, traditional paid-circulation newspaper
s and magazines were joined by a new publication category: free-circulation newspapers and magazines, known as trade or controlled-circulation publications. As free newspapers and magazines increased in number, Geraldine Knight founded Verified Audit Circulation as the first company dedicated to auditing these publications in 1951.
Verified subsequently expanded its services to include audits of paid publications, free rack-distributed publications, and products delivered to the door. The addition of website audits provided site publishers with independent confirmation of site visitor activity and with assurance of website ad delivery.
By 2008, the company was auditing more than 1,000 free and 250 paid publications, along with more than 100 weekly alternative newspapers. Its audit clients include The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and Questex Media.
In 2009, Verified developed and launched an expanded form of integrated audit report to track a larger range of circulation and audience parameters for clients. The new report type addresses the growing diversification of media beyond print and into electronic formats. The cross-platform audit report supplements print-circulation figures with data on digital editions, events, websites, webinars, e-newsletters and supplements.
During 2011, Verified expanded its circulation guidelines to allow publishers to include publications distributed at trade shows and events to be added to their qualified circulation figures. Prior to the update, trade show and event distribution of publications counted as unqualified circulation.
Verfied Audit Circulation is headquartered in Larkspur, California
.
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
s of both free and paid print publications and of traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
figures for website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s. The company also provides custom research and verifies field delivery of products such as yellow pages
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, organized by category, rather than alphabetically by business name and in which advertising is sold. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings...
, branded delivery bags and door
Door
A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
hangers.
Independent audit firms like Verified Audit Circulation work with publication circulation figures provided by their publisher clients, in order to verify or adjust these circulation numbers, based on examining a publication’s printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
and financial records. Field research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
may also be conducted to confirm circulation figures. Circulation audit findings are compiled and released in audit report
Report
A report is a textual work made with the specific intention of relaying information or recounting certain events in a widely presentable form....
s, which advertisers use to make decisions about advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
placements.
History
In the mid-20th century20th century
Many people define the 20th century as running from January 1, 1901 to December 31, 2000, others would rather define it as beginning on January 1, 1900....
, traditional paid-circulation newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s and magazines were joined by a new publication category: free-circulation newspapers and magazines, known as trade or controlled-circulation publications. As free newspapers and magazines increased in number, Geraldine Knight founded Verified Audit Circulation as the first company dedicated to auditing these publications in 1951.
Verified subsequently expanded its services to include audits of paid publications, free rack-distributed publications, and products delivered to the door. The addition of website audits provided site publishers with independent confirmation of site visitor activity and with assurance of website ad delivery.
By 2008, the company was auditing more than 1,000 free and 250 paid publications, along with more than 100 weekly alternative newspapers. Its audit clients include The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and Questex Media.
In 2009, Verified developed and launched an expanded form of integrated audit report to track a larger range of circulation and audience parameters for clients. The new report type addresses the growing diversification of media beyond print and into electronic formats. The cross-platform audit report supplements print-circulation figures with data on digital editions, events, websites, webinars, e-newsletters and supplements.
During 2011, Verified expanded its circulation guidelines to allow publishers to include publications distributed at trade shows and events to be added to their qualified circulation figures. Prior to the update, trade show and event distribution of publications counted as unqualified circulation.
Membership
Verified clients are known as members of the organization, and they have full access to the circulation-reporting and member resources on the Verified Audit Circulation website. Media buyers, advertisers and advertising agencies are eligible for free associate membership, which provides online access to audit reports, publishers’ statements, circulation data downloads and a Verified e-newsletter.Verfied Audit Circulation is headquartered in Larkspur, California
Larkspur, California
Larkspur is a city in Marin County, California, United States. Larkspur is located south of San Rafael, at an elevation of . As of the 2010 Census, the city's population was 11,926. Larkspur is located north of San Francisco near Mount Tamalpais. Larkspur's Police Department is shared with that...
.