The Journey to OzTAM Gold Standard Accreditation
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, data has become the lifeblood of decision-making. Whether you're a business leader, marketing strategist or content creator, the ability to access, interpret, and act on data is crucial.
This is especially true in television advertising, where consumer behaviours are constantly evolving, and competition is fierce. Relying on intuition and personal connections is no longer sufficient— television advertising has shifted from a simple one-screen approach to a highly targeted, data-driven strategy.
But not all data is created equal. For Television advertising to be truly data-informed, the information used must be consistently reliable, and transparent.
At Broadcast M.A.P. ensuring the accuracy and certification of both data and its delivery is not only crucial for building a layer of confidence for our clients and team, but also for the industry and supporting standards of compliance.
In this article, we explore what OzTAM Gold Accreditation is, the process of obtaining it, and its significance for the Australian television industry.
Who is OzTAM and What is Gold Standard Accreditation
Advertisers, agencies, and broadcasters all rely on ratings data to engage the right audiences and target key demographics, helping broadcasters to maximize viewership, advertisers to reach their ideal markets and agencies to achieve the best return on investment (ROI) for their clients.
As the official source of television audience measurement in Australia, OzTAM is the official source of television audience measurement and the standard metric by which ratings data is evaluated. To make the most of this data, specialised software applications are used to analyse and present it in a meaningful and digestible format.
In a competitive software market OzTAM data subscribers have the option to choose from a variety of suppliers to access and use its data. To ensure consistency and precision in ratings calculations, OzTAM established the Gold Standard accreditation. This accreditation ensures that the software used adheres to uniform calculation methods and employs industry-standard terminology, thereby meeting the highest industry benchmarks.
The Importance of Gold Standard Accreditation in Television Advertising
For advertisers, the stakes are high. Every dollar spent on television advertising needs to yield results, and those results are only as good as the data they’re based on.
OzTAM’s Gold Standard accreditation guarantees that this data meets rigorous standards, providing a reliable foundation for broadcasters, agencies, and advertisers, which in turn supports various key benefits:
Accurate Targeting: Gold Standard accredited data enables advertisers to precisely target their audiences, minimising wasted spend and maximising campaign effectiveness while optimising investment.
Measurable Impact: Reliable data supports effective planning, enables accurate measurement of campaign impact, and provides insights for real-time adjustments to maximise performance, allowing advertisers to make informed decisions with confidence.
Strategic Planning: Gold Standard accredited data provides insights into viewing trends and audience preferences, helping broadcasters to shape effective programming that attracts viewers, and adds value for advertisers.
Kavitha Sadasivam, Broadcast M.A.P.’s Software Development Manager, confirms:
OzTAM's Gold Standard Accreditation audit involves stringent verification of the accuracy of audience measurement data to ensure results accurately reflect true viewership and that calculations are free from biases and errors. This process is crucial for maintaining trust in the data.
Kristina Jozic, Application Support Manager, adds:
The Gold Standard is about ensuring customers can trust the outputs of tools using data. It guarantees data integrity, reliable results, and consistency in performance metrics.
The Rigorous Path to OzTAM Gold Standard Accreditation
For Broadcast M.A.P. the journey with the Virtual Australia (VOZ) initiative began in 2019 when Think TV introduced it to the industry at The Future of TV Advertising event, marking a significant milestone in how television advertising would be measured and bought. This moment set the stage for Broadcast M.A.P.'s long-term commitment to adapting its TVmap product to align with the evolving needs of VOZ and the future of Total TV.
Reflecting on those initial stages, Leanne Peruch, Head of Business Development Australia, shares:
One of the first questions Broadcast M.A.P. asked what is the long-term goal and will VOZ replace TAM. When we understood TAM would be phased out, we knew we had to prioritise VOZ.
Our goal was to be the first in market with VOZ Gold Standard accredited tools, which we achieved in July 2021.
Having been Gold Standard accredited for TAM data for over 18 years, the team at Broadcast M.A.P. was well-versed in industry standards. However, in the early days of VOZ, the requirements for achieving Gold Standard accreditation were constantly evolving. As work with VOZ data advanced and the data itself evolved, the criteria for the Gold Standard shifted accordingly.
Kavitha Sadasivam, Software Development Manager, discusses navigating this transition:
One of the more time-consuming aspects of the process was working with sample data and validating the numbers which required meticulous team efforts to clarify and confirm the accuracy of calculations and collaborating closely with OzTAM to iron out any kinks in the requirements.
Achieving Gold Standard accreditation for Broadcast M.A.P. necessitated significant changes to systems and processes to handle the vast volume of VOZ data, alongside ongoing development and adaptation to ensure that new features met the stringent standards of accreditation.
This transformation required a constant balance between day-to-day operations and the business’ goal of being first to market with a VOZ compliant solution.
Kristina emphasises:
VOZ data is enormous and requires significantly more storage when compared to TAM data so for Broadcast M.A.P. understanding how to work with such a vast dataset was key. Creating and building the technology framework to ingest and host data while ensuring performance and speed when processing customer queries was paramount.
Kavitha continues:
Continuous improvement is vital for the accreditation process. Staying updated with industry developments and aligning functionality with best practices helps ensure that our solutions meet Gold Standard accreditation before delivery and consistently addresses the day-to-day needs of our clients.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Broadcast M.A.P.
As the Australian media industry moves towards the official cutover of VOZ as the new currency for television advertising, Broadcast M.A.P. is preparing to support agencies and broadcasters as they transition from TAM measurement and integrate VOZ Total TV into their operations.
Kristina continues:
It has been a long journey since our first VOZ Gold Standard Accreditation in July 2021. Being first to market with OzTAM accredited tools has allowed us to support our customers in their VOZ journey well ahead of VOZ becoming the official currency. We are prepared and looking forward to the ‘go-live’ date in January 2025.
The transition to VOZ is set to introduce new focuses and trends that will continue to transform the industry in innovative ways. For the team at Broadcast M.A.P., staying updated with industry developments and adapting to emerging trends is crucial to meeting the evolving needs of broadcasters and agencies.
Leanne Peruch notes:
Things are moving fast, and that pace will only accelerate as VOZ adoption grows. It will be interesting to see how advertising investments shift now that BVOD data can be visualized alongside broadcast television. How BVOD is tracked and managed in programmatic trading will play a key role in shaping the future of the industry.
Virtual Australia (VOZ), the Total TV measurement standard, is set to become the official currency for television advertising starting from [29/12/24]. For more information on VOZ and OzTAM, visit the official website.
To find out how Broadcast M.A.P. can support your business operations through the VOZ transition, click here.
