VOZ Enters Final Phase Of Total TV Viewing

VOZ, the most accurate picture of Total TV viewing, enters final phase; on track to launch as currency in 2024

Virtual Australia (VOZ), Australia’s world-leading, all-screen Total TV viewing and campaign performance solution, has entered the final phase of the collaborative journey towards VOZ becoming Australia’s reporting standard and trading currency in 2024, providing the most accurate picture of Total TV viewing in Australia.

The third and final phase of broader industry adoption is now underway. In the coming months media agencies will begin to embed the VOZ database in their systems and workflows, so that the industry will be ready to transact on a Total TV basis in 2024.

This final stage builds on progress since the first phase was completed in May 2023 and as the second phase now concludes. The first phase saw the release of daily next-day Overnight VOZ data; delivery of the Quarter Hour audience files (QHFs) on which broadcasters and media agencies transact; and publication of Total TV program ranking and audience reach reports on the VirtualOz.com.au website.

The second phase ensures that third-party software suppliers (TPSS), who are building the analytical software needed to process the complex and detailed VOZ dataset, can achieve VOZ Gold Standard accreditations.

OzTAM fosters an open software market to give data users choice and therefore requires TPSS to be Gold Standard-certified so that all clients using OzTAM data achieve consistent results. OzTAM has provided VOZ Gold Standard requirements to the following TPSS developers: Broadcast Map, Day 8, Nielsen L&J, and Tech Edge.

These companies are enhancing their analysis tools to integrate the new VOZ Gold Standard requirements. Several software modules have recently attained VOZ Gold Standard accreditation, with more to land in the coming weeks.

In parallel, for more than 18 months OzTAM has been working with the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) to incorporate media agency needs in the construction and deployment of VOZ and the software required to utilise VOZ data.

“Australia is the only country in the world that has a product like VOZ, with fully integrated linear and BVOD measurement for both content and commercials. VOZ Total TV, that has been conceived, developed and built in Australia, delivers the clearest picture of viewing on all screen types than has ever been possible,” said OzTAM CEO, Karen Halligan (lead image).

“Bringing VOZ Total TV to market has been a complex and technically challenging proposition, and there is genuine excitement in the industry that we have reached the final stage of this journey”.

“We’d like to thank our TPSS partners who have been collaborative and committed to bringing VOZ software to market and on the road to gaining full Gold Standard certification. Similarly, we are also grateful to our Regional TAM colleagues for their collaborative approach to constructing VOZ, and to the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) and member agencies for their consistent support, constructive input and advocacy as VOZ takes flight”.

“VOZ will also be a gamechanger in informing de-duplicated Total TV campaign reach and frequency post-analysis within the forthcoming VOZ Streaming solution for enhanced, multibroadcaster programmatic BVOD trading next year,” she added.

Chair of OzTAM’s technical board and Seven West media director of research and insights, Craig Johnson, said: “As we progress the industry transition to VOZ as trading currency, we’ve taken care to ensure VOZ addresses critical industry needs.”

“We’ve worked diligently with Regional TAM, the broadcasters, media agencies and our TPSS partners to get the technical infrastructure and user-interface right”.

“Quarter Hour audience files are now ready for media agencies to ingest into their respective systems. And, with TPSS tools achieving Gold Standard accreditation, clients can also evaluate Total TV reach and frequency to expose incremental BVOD reach”.

“We are all looking forward to the industry moving towards VOZ becoming Australia’s official Total TV currency and leading the world in the most sophisticated Total TV audience measurement”.

Daily next day VOZ data has been available to subscribers since May. VOZ Total TV viewing data is released to market at 11.30am AEDT daily, 90 minutes earlier than the initial release of daily next-day reporting in May of this year. OzTAM and Nielsen continue to work towards earlier daily release of the highly complex VOZ dataset. Daily VOZ Overnight and Consolidated 7 Program ranking reports, and weekly Consolidated 7 Top Program Ranking and Cumulative Reach reports, are posted to VirtualOz.com.au daily.