SPH Media chief sends out memo to adland trade partners clarifying rates

Following the admission of tampering with circulation numbers, SPH Media has said circulation data is not used for ad packages. According to a memo sent out by SPH Media chief executive Teo Lay Lim, seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the company’s media rates and advertising packages are sold based on reach and readership data from independent third-party research agencies.

Teo added data on reach and readership is collected periodically via a survey panel that is statistically representative of the Singapore population. Teo added this data is obtained and verified by the likes of research agencies such as GfK. She clarified further that the company’s media rates and advertising packages are based on reach and readership of individual titles, as well as SPH Media’s solutions as a whole.

The letter to trade partners came after SPH admitted publicly to a discrepancy in its circulation of 10% to 12% which is around 85,000 to 95,000 daily average copies across all titles. There was also double counting of subscriptions and destructed copies included in the count. Additional funding was also taken to purchase fictitious circulation numbers, while other circulation figures were also arbitrarily derived.

Meanwhile, according to a report on Today, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) Group, is currently reviewing the situation and said that if there are intentional acts to mislead the market, appropriate action will be taken by authorities.

SPH Media is the publisher of The Straits Times, The Business Times, Berita Harian, Tamil Murasu, Lianhe Zaobao and Shin Min Daily News.

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