PAMCo, the joint industry currency for published media brands, has today released data that includes Barb’s Establishment Survey for the first time.

Following a successful pilot last year, the joint initiative between the two JICs started in January 2025, allowing PAMCo to optimise Barb’s high-quality methodology.

Once the new survey data is fully integrated, every PAMCo release will be based on a total sample of 30,000 individuals. 

This collaboration with Barb, endorsed by the IPA, Newsworks and the PPA, represents a progressive change in approach by delivering an enhanced and well-balanced sample to better represent the ever evolving and innovative nature of published media brands.

Until PAMCo releases data based entirely on the new methodology in early 2027, no trending of the current data is possible due to the different methodologies. 

This change does not impact PAMCO’s digital methodology, which continues to come from UKOM endorsed Ipsos iris.

Emma Holden, Managing Director of PAMCo, said: “Our collaboration with Barb represents a significant step forward in strengthening audience measurement. By delivering a more robust and representative data sample, this partnership will provide deeper insights that benefit published media, along with their agency and advertiser partners.”

Says Denise Turner, Research Director, IPA: “Robust measurement is at the heart of understanding what works, what doesn’t and why. As new methodologies come into play, they open up deeper insights into our audiences, and that leads to smarter decisions and a greater impact across the industry. We wholeheartedly support this new approach and want to commend the efforts and investment that both PAMCo and Barb have put in to make it all happen.”

Nick Brown, Client Investment Director, Starcom, said: “As soon as you start a media career you are taught that Barb and PAMCo are the gold standard in measurement. Seeing them come together to drive more meaningful face to face interviews of higher quality maintains that gold standard.”

Craig Smith. Senior Director, Investment at WPP Media said: “In this ever-transforming and sometimes opaque media landscape, it is great to see published media continuing to be proactive in evolving and improving the way it captures more robust and representative readership figures. Published media prides itself on its  gold standard of reporting measurement and Barb has long been held as the industry leader, and this partnership with PAMCo will be hugely helpful in providing even greater clarity to media planners and the industry more generally.”  

Glyn Williams, Director of Trading and Accountability, PHD  said: “This is good news for the Publishing sector. The PAMCo and Barb partnership will deliver an improved data set, enhancing the way audiences are connected and understood, in turn enabling us to improve efficiencies for our clients.”

For more information, visit pamco.co.uk