SARASOTA MAGAZINE IS THE ONLY PUBLICATION
IN THE MARKET THAT IS AN ACTIVE CRMA MEMBER

In addition to the rigorous editorial, advertising and production
standards that SARASOTA’s CRMA Membership requires, our membership is a testament to high-quality, proven circulation numbers.


SARASOTA Magazine is proud to be the only publication in the Sarasota/Manatee region that is an Active Member of the City and Regional Magazine Association—an exclusive designation
that demands a circulation audit, high paid circulation percentage and quality standards for advertising and production.

CRMA's high standards distinguish SARASOTA as the most authoritative, trusted publication in the area and ensure advertisers that circulation claims are validated.
In nine highly affluent zip codes nationwide, Monroe Mendelsohn Research conducted a study that compared readership of paid and unpaid publications. This study found that:

95% recognized the CRMA (paid
circulation) titles

- compared with 35% for free glossy titles
82% gave CRMA (paid circulation) titles an overall rating of “excellent/good”

- compared with 55% for free glossy titles
Only publications with 60% paid circulation may apply for active membership with CRMA.

IN ADDITION, CRMA TITLES SWEPT EVERY CATEGORY IN THE STUDY.
COMPARED TO NON-CRMA PUBLICATIONS, CRMA MEMBER PUBLICATIONS:

• were read more regularly
• were more credible, fair and objective
• were more recognized
• were more worth spending a lot of time with
• had the best overall rating
• had the most useful information about:
• local restaurants
• shopping
• travel
• entertainment
• local real estate
• were more informative
• were more authoritative
• had ads that were more useful
• related more to readers' interests
• provided information not found elsewhere

To qualify for active membership in the City and Regional Magazine Association, a magazine must:

• have paid circulation of 60% or more
• be recommended for membership by the Membership Committee
• have high printing and production standards, set by CRMA
• exhibit a clear distinction between editorial and advertising
• not allow ownership or sponsorship to dictate editorial
• be a stand-alone product, where the primary mode of distribution is in the mail or by equivalent means.
• be distributed –at least 90% of the audited total circulation—through newsstand sales and in the mail or by equivalent means
• not use free rack distribution
• have its circulation audited or verified by one of four audit services

About Verified Audit Circulation (VAC)
Advertisers use audit reports to compare and evaluate advertising
opportunities, and most national and regional advertisers require audited circulation. Local advertisers look for audited circulation as a mark of credibility and professionalism
Verified Audit Circulation is one of four accepted audit services in the US. VAC performs audits for some of the most prestigious publications in the country, such as the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post.