OzTAM, Regional TAM and Nielsen today launched a trade marketing campaign and dedicated website in the lead up to debuting Virtual Australia (‘VOZ’), the foundation of Australia’s new Total TV reporting standard.

The VOZ campaign, sub-titled ‘Televisionary Measurement’, will be promoted across industry trade media and be supported and amplified by Australia’s metropolitan, regional and subscription TV broadcasters, along with OzTAM, Regional TAM, ThinkTV and Nielsen.

Phase one illustrates how VOZ will bring together broadcast viewing on TV sets and connected devices to provide all-screen, cross-platform planning and reporting for Australia’s television industry.

Subsequent campaign flights will explain the benefits of VOZ and provide examples of VOZ in use, ahead of initial VOZ data being introduced to market in the first quarter of 2020.

OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer said: “VOZ will deliver step change in the way Australian television is measured and evaluated, providing a true national view of how TV content is consumed across all screens over time, and showing the incremental reach that broadcast video on demand (BVOD) delivers.

“It’s been an enormous project to bring the different measurement systems for TV and BVOD together to capture the cross-screen universe, where on average Australian households have 1.8 TV sets and a total of 6.8 screens.

“Accordingly, OzTAM, Regional TAM and Nielsen have undertaken a rigorous three-year development, testing and rollout program to bring VOZ to market.

“The positive industry feedback on VOZ is gratifying, and we’re excited to launch this trade marketing campaign ahead of initial VOZ data being released next year.”

Regional TAM Chairman Dave Walker added: “The VOZ Total TV reporting standard is a milestone for Australian television.

“Bringing Regional TAM and OzTAM data together will make it easier than ever before to plan, post-analyse and allocate investment nationally and by market.

“VOZ will clarify Australia’s Total TV picture, greatly benefitting advertisers who wish to target viewers in regional Australia and country-wide.

“Regional TAM broadcasters are proud to be part of this important initiative.”

Nielsen’s head of TV audience measurement, David Ellem, commented: “Together with OzTAM and Regional TAM, Nielsen is proud to support the launch of VOZ.

“This innovation means that the industry will soon have independent, standardised and transparent metrics for reporting Total TV, and de-duplicated audience reach and frequency metrics for planning and evaluating Total TV audiences.”