Merit’s VFD Audit Service is a leading provider of newspaper auditing, back-checking, and bracketing services. We have most of the UK’s regional newspaper publishers and leaflet/directory distributors as clients.

Rapid turnaround of queries and audit requests.

Comprehensive reports on surveyed rounds, disallowed copies, logic and database compliance.

Our telephone databases enable clients to meet ABC regulations (25%/telephone numbers/title; 3%/numbers/round; 0.5%/calls/week).

We use standard methodology to bracket across all titles; our agents keep disallowance figures to a minimum, and comply with ABC guidelines.
 – All call attempts made in order to save copies.
 – Logic used in calculating the number of disallowed copies.
 – We comply with ABC rules and make extra calls to save as many copies as possible
 – Our reporting shows every round where copies have been disallowed

Merit undertakes investigation of negative replies to the delivery question. We investigate the extent of non-delivery and disallow copies in accordance with ABC guidelines

Our reports show every round where copies have been disallowed

Merit facilitate round by round exception reports which detail customer complaints of non-delivery, letterbox problems, broken fences, unclosed gates, dumped copies, etc.

Standard procedure makes ABC audits easier to manage. All reports are maintained on FTP sites; a significant part of the ABC Audit can be remotely conducted subject to publisher approval.

Initial database compliance audits with related reports to ensure we have sufficient calling records available.

For Controlled Testing, we offer round management to handle uncovered rounds and the production of round rotation reports

We undertake back checking and bracketing calls and try to minimise disallowed copies, whilst strictly operating within VFD regulations

Leaflet management, surveying and reporting.

Full back checking reports and bracketing reports to detail the basis for disallowed copies.

Merit has an established reputation in Publishing and Media and has carried out the following activities in these areas:

ABC Reader Registrations on Controlled Circulation Titles (Incisive Media, Emap Etc.)

VFD Readership Audit Services (currently audit over 300 newspaper titles)

Inbound Query handling from distributors (paperboys) and households

Database building for magazine circulation departments

Direct Marketing support services for conference and exhibition companies

Newspaper reader surveys

Newspaper advertising competitor analysis

Survey percentage can be tailored for each title from the starting position of 0.5% upwards

Rounds are selected for audit: user is prompted by the system to include rounds which have not been surveyed for the longest period and which are at their 8-week limit. This screen also allows uncovered rounds and leaflets applying on a round by round basis to be specified

Details all rounds allocated to a calling executive; telephone executive can select individual streets and households for survey

Backchecking reports

Bracketing reports or disallowed analysis reports

Round rotation reports

Customer query/exception reports by round