Media owners will now be able to undertake a web traffic audit that will give agencies a richer understanding of their target audiences, with information also including social grade, postal code and marital status.
Andy Flint, ABCe head of client services, described the new data as "a response to the challenge we've faced for many years". Previously, web traffic data did not capture information about users, an issue for both publishers and advertisers alike. Flint said: "Buyers want to plan campaigns to target audiences, and target audiences are not computers, they are people."
Publishers can now choose between the basic ABCe certificate, focused around unique user figures, and the enhanced ABCe certificate.
Publishing the basic or enhanced certificates remains optional - currently only a handful of magazine websites reveal ABCe data. However, there is a mandatory rule that if publishers decide to provide an enhanced certificate, they must disclose at least four datasets: country of residency, age, gender and social class.
Research consultancy Survey Interactive conducted pilots with ABCe. Flint described the feedback as "very positive", but stressed that the enhanced certificate is still a hypothetical product. "We're hoping and looking forward to publishers wanting to use the survey and give their feedback," he said.
Separately, JICWEBS is continuing with its investigation into increasing the transparency of data that goes towards ABCe certificates. Its probe was launched after Telegraph.co.uk added more than six million unique users in just two months leading up to its May traffic report, prompting other newspaper publishers to raise concerns over how data is gathered.
The launch of the new certificate comes as agencies and clients move to provide more data on online audiences. Last month, for example, the Newspaper Marketing Agency unveiled the launch of a tool providing data such as how long users spend on newspapers' websites.
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