{
  "market": "St Albans and Harpenden",
  "updated": "2026-06-16",
  "status": "internal_prep_only",
  "sourceIssues": [
    "MY-2577",
    "MY-2571"
  ],
  "purpose": "Approval-gated counter-card and partner-share kit for converting high-footfall local businesses into reader acquisition routes without scraping, spam or sponsor confusion.",
  "boundary": "No public post, business approach, physical placement, subscriber email, paid ad, sponsor outreach, payment collection or inventory hold is approved by this kit.",
  "primaryLandingPage": "https://www.gmstalbans.co.uk/subscribe/?ref=counter-card",
  "counts": {
    "placementLanes": 4,
    "qrVariants": 3,
    "approvalRules": 6,
    "blockedClaims": 4
  },
  "referralMetadata": {
    "referral_source": "counter-card",
    "signup_market": "good-morning-st-albans",
    "reader_token": "generated client-side or left blank until MY-2571 wiring is verified"
  },
  "counterCardCopy": {
    "headline": "St Albans and Harpenden before breakfast",
    "body": "Free local morning briefing: planning, roadworks, council decisions, events and useful links in one five-minute email.",
    "cta": "Scan to subscribe free",
    "disclosure": "Buttondown handles confirmation and unsubscribe. No sponsor relationship is implied unless separately approved."
  },
  "placementLanes": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "lane": "Independent cafes and bakeries",
      "places": [
        "St Albans city centre",
        "Harpenden",
        "Fleetville",
        "Redbourn"
      ],
      "readerFit": "Daily regulars planning school runs, commutes, roadworks, parking, weekend events and local services.",
      "firstAsk": "Would you be comfortable leaving one free local briefing card by the till for regular customers?",
      "risk": "Must not imply the business is a paid sponsor or that the newsletter endorses the venue.",
      "proofBeforeUse": [
        "Owner or manager approval",
        "Card placement date",
        "Visible subscribe URL or QR route",
        "No private customer data collected"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "lane": "Bookshops, libraries and cultural venues",
      "places": [
        "St Albans",
        "Harpenden",
        "Wheathampstead"
      ],
      "readerFit": "Readers who already seek local events, culture, civic notices, author talks and weekend planning.",
      "firstAsk": "Could we leave a small free-local-newsletter card alongside community notices?",
      "risk": "Venue policies may require neutral wording and no commercial claims.",
      "proofBeforeUse": [
        "Venue permission",
        "No paid placement",
        "Community notice policy checked",
        "No event listing promise"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "lane": "Gyms, salons and family activity counters",
      "places": [
        "St Albans",
        "Harpenden",
        "London Colney"
      ],
      "readerFit": "Repeat local customers who value concise event, road, school-run and service-change updates.",
      "firstAsk": "Can we share a free morning briefing card for local residents who want practical updates before the day starts?",
      "risk": "Family and youth settings need adult-facing placement only and no child/student data routes.",
      "proofBeforeUse": [
        "Adult-facing placement",
        "Manager approval",
        "Safeguarding-sensitive copy review",
        "No mailing-list inclusion"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "lane": "Estate agents and professional-service receptions",
      "places": [
        "St Albans",
        "Harpenden",
        "Redbourn",
        "Park Street"
      ],
      "readerFit": "Residents, movers and clients tracking planning, transport, parking, schools, local events and civic decisions.",
      "firstAsk": "Would a free local briefing card be useful for clients moving into or around the district?",
      "risk": "Can blur into sponsor outreach; keep reader acquisition separate from paid inventory.",
      "proofBeforeUse": [
        "Reception approval",
        "No paid sponsor wording",
        "No property-market performance claims",
        "No client data"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "qrVariants": [
    {
      "name": "generic-counter-card",
      "url": "https://www.gmstalbans.co.uk/subscribe/?ref=counter-card",
      "use": "Default card for approved independent counters."
    },
    {
      "name": "harpenden-counter-card",
      "url": "https://www.gmstalbans.co.uk/subscribe/?ref=harpenden-counter-card",
      "use": "Harpenden-specific partner placement after venue approval."
    },
    {
      "name": "village-counter-card",
      "url": "https://www.gmstalbans.co.uk/subscribe/?ref=village-counter-card",
      "use": "Village notice route for Redbourn, Wheathampstead, Sandridge, Park Street or Colney Heath."
    }
  ],
  "approvalChecklist": [
    "the editor approves the business route, copy, card design and timing before any approach.",
    "Business owner, manager or venue operator explicitly approves placement before any card appears.",
    "The card says subscribe free and does not imply sponsorship, endorsement, paid partnership, prize or discount.",
    "The landing page is Buttondown-first and passes only public referral metadata after MY-2571 is verified.",
    "No private customer data, member lists, receipts, emails, phone numbers or in-store sign-up sheets are collected.",
    "Remove the card immediately if the venue asks or if referral attribution produces malformed metadata."
  ],
  "proofToCapture": [
    "Approved route name and public business URL",
    "Approver name or role, kept private",
    "Placement date and removal date if time-limited",
    "QR variant used",
    "Photo proof for internal review only; do not publish without business approval",
    "Buttondown referral metadata export after live preflight is approved"
  ],
  "blockedClaims": [
    "Do not claim subscriber lift from counter cards until Buttondown referral attribution is exported and deduplicated.",
    "Do not describe a business as a sponsor unless a separate approved sponsor booking exists.",
    "Do not promise editorial coverage, event inclusion, discount promotion or review coverage in exchange for placement.",
    "Do not use cards in schools, youth clubs or medical settings without a separate safeguarding and compliance review."
  ]
}