GN&M commits to ABCe six-month data certificate

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 26-Sep-08, 15:55

LONDON - Guardian News & Media, publisher of Guardian.co.uk, has committed to releasing its online user data on the new ABC Electronic six-month certificate.

The data will cover the Guardian's regional sites, such as manchestereveningnews.co.uk, getreading.co.uk and thejobsmine.co.uk.

The six-month certificates will detail monthly, weekly and daily unique users of each top-level domain.

Regional newspaper publishers have previously reported their website figures only on an ad hoc basis. The six monthly certificate, requires continuous reporting, and allows regional media owners to report their online data alongside their print figures.

Martyn Gates, director of newspapers, said: "It is highly encouraging to see Guardian News & Media become the latest publisher to sign up to the ABCe six-monthly certificate.

"This clearly demonstrates the importance for media owners to provide advertisers with figures which are credible, comparable and transparent by committing to have their site traffic figures independently verified to industry agreed standards."

Northcliffe Media, owned by the Daily Mail & General Trust, was the first regional publisher to commit to releasing data through the ABCe's six-month certificates.