FAQs
What is Locally Connected?
Locally Connected is the UK’s first integrated print and online audience planning currency, offering advertisers and agencies a unique geographical cross-media planning system available via JICREG for analysing the combined net reach of a local newspaper and its website down to postcode sector level.
Who is behind Locally Connected?
The project has been steered and funded by the Newspaper Society (NS), the voice of local media, working in conjunction with JICREG (Joint Industry Committee for Regional Press Research), and ABCe (Audit Bureau of Circulation – Electronic). The NS commissioned Telmar, the leading international media planning software and consultancy company, to develop the methodology for integrating internet audience data with print readership data.
Why did you need to develop Locally Connected?
The first local newspaper websites were launched 15 years ago. Since then the regional and local press has evolved into a fully-fledged multimedia sector with websites, magazines and broadcast opportunities driven by the core local newspaper. Clients and agencies were increasingly looking for multimedia solutions at a local level but needed the hard data to justify investment in local media online. The only local media currencies available (ABC and JICREG) were focused on print alone. Both advertisers and publishers were agreed on the need to move from the historic focus on a newspaper’s paid circulation and towards a more meaningful measurement of total reach.
How can I access Locally Connected?
Via the JICREG planning system, Jic-in-a-Box, and the third party bureaux multimedia schedule analysis systems from Telmar, IMS and KMR.
What will the new system give me?
Website audience data alongside newspaper readership data and combined deduplicated audience data, available by location, county, ILR area, ITV region, ISBA area, Registrar-General area and Local government area, down to postcode sector level.
Schedule analysis of any combination of local press and local online, with audience analysis and drivetimes. Variable inputs include number of weeks on site, % of site users, number of inserts in press.
Can you tell us how people interact with local media websites?
Building on the Locally Connected work, the NS is now embarking on a qualitative digital insight project, the wanted ads digital,which will look at how, why, when and for how long people engage with their local newspaper website and how this differs from other internet usage. Results will be available in 2010.
How does Locally Connected fit in with other initiatives like Touchpoints and UKOM?
The NS and JICREG have kept in touch with other industry initiatives to develop standards and methodologies for internet and multimedia audiences, such as UKOM. The NS is part of the WAN Media Measurement Integration Taskforce. Unfortunately, none of the initiatives in the UK or abroad could provide the level of precise geographic detail required for a UK local media planning currency. However it is planned that Locally Connected will be integrated into the IPA’s Touchpoints hub, just as JICREG has been for local newspapers in print.
What is the difference between unique browsers (UBs) and audience?
Unique Browsers, previously called unique users, are valid connections to a website from a device. A number of people accessing a website via a device would only be counted as one unique user, and someone accessing a website via more than one device would be counted as multiple unique browsers. Audience data of the Jic-in-a-box system is the number of adults accessing a website once or more during a month.
What is the Media Portfolio Database?
It’s an internet-based system within the main NS database, enabling publishers to update their non-newspaper entries including print supplements, broadcast and online. It is searchable by publisher, newspaper, media type, subject matter and area, and offers 3,200 media opportunities including nearly 900 websites, each linked to the core newspaper. It is actively used by planners, and is seen as a valuable resource in its own right. NS Launches Media Portfolio Database.
How are the website business areas defined?
The business areas are defined as the total of all linked newspaper circulation areas.
How are the unique browser figures established?
See the ABCe website for more information, www.abce.org.uk.
What are page requests?
A file, or combination of files, sent to a valid user as a result of that User's request being received by the server. In effect, one request by a valid user should result in one Page Impression being claimed.
How many local media groups are included on Locally Connected?
Seven of the largest local media groups, representing 70% of the industry, are on Locally Connected, with more planning to come on board. The groups are: Trinity Mirror, Northcliffe Media, Johnston Press, Newsquest, Guardian Media Group, Midland News Association and Iliffe News & Media.
Are all types of local newspaper websites included?
All types of local newspaper websites that have audience research are included, but modelled audience figures are only available for companion newspaper websites. We have not yet generated models for specialist websites such as motors, property and recruitment websites.
How have the website audience models been established?
A number of publishers have conducted extensive research into the audience of their websites and this has been analysed in considerable detail for Locally Connected along with data on the linked newspapers and local area. (see Methodology). The research has been conducted for the groups by Survey Interactive although other research companies have developed similar techniques.
What is the Survey Interactive research?
SurveyInteractive.com (previously Survey.com) developed a technique (based on actual research) to transform unique browsers into adults, providing one of the most accurate forms of multimedia internet audience measurement available. The methodology has been assessed and accepted by JICREG and the NS. The data collected for the groups is an important element of the Locally Connected project.
Exactly what data is available for websites?
Average monthly adult audience by area is available, and the duplication with local newspaper average issue readership.
Have the models been appraised?
All of the models have been successfully appraised, and summaries of the appraisals are available here.
How often is the audience data updated?
The website audience data will be updated quarterly at the same time that the JICREG newspaper readership data is updated.
Can I analyse web + print schedules?
Data can be transferred from Jic-in-a-box to schedule analysis software enabling local newspaper website + print schedules to be analysed.
Will other local media opportunities be included?
Local broadcast or magazine opportunities may be included as part of future phases of the Locally Connected project.
