Convergence is key

"Each agency will of course approach this change differently, however it’s likely many agency teams will converge to make the most of having integrated reach and frequency across both channels," Amobee MD Liam Walsh told Mi3. "Having two separate teams will be easier for the short-term, but this approach may struggle to deliver the promise of VOZ for their clients in reality as each team operates the same channel with a different buying philosophy."

Walsh believes agencies will need to build combined teams that plan and execute across all video channels. He thinks the necessary skills transfer and organisational shift will occur in phases, likely starting with planning campaigns based on outcomes across both channels.

Vizeum CEO Ashley Earnshaw agrees. Some agencies have already merged teams, he says, and others will follow as marketers demand an integrated approach.

"We are talking about advertising in the same broadcast content anyway and the reality is that 50 per cent of BVOD is being viewed through a connected TV. Whether it’s linear or digital, the experience is the same."

However the responsibility isn't solely on the agencies. Earnshaw says publishers must also adjust their teams accordingly - not just for the sake of efficiency but more importantly, to back-up the single solution narrative and unlock greater value.

"Clients and agencies are already thinking about BVOD and connected television in the same way they view linear, however VOZ just gives them a deeper narrative to look at the reach and cost efficiencies," he adds. "What has been holding the market back is not being able to optimise between those two worlds. VOZ now opens the conversation around measurement and efficiencies in screen strategies which will, in turn, open the avenues for BVOD to be used as a strong branding platform."

Not all are sold

While this approach may seem enticing, large agencies and clients are unlikely to make such monumental shifts in their structure before the platform has even launched.

Some have already criticised the time it has taken for VOZ to launch, with agencies venting frustrations and concerns as to whether the data will live up to the hype.

Publicis Media Exchange MD Sarah Keith offers a divergent view to those suggesting teams will merge.

"For Publicis this is pretty simple. VOZ provides data, which is an extension of a television metric so therefore it will sit, as cross-screen planning and buying does currently, within the TV teams. The database will be available in existing television planning tools," Keith told Mi3. "It's worth noting that as the VOZ data is BVOD from TV networks only and not total video, there will still be clarity and education needed in terms of which inventory is being utilised or excluded in the plan driven from VOZ data."

She added: "Digital video buys which have different goals and metrics from television plans will still include BVOD and can be purchased by digital buyers alongside all other video available in a plan."

Omnicom Media Group chief investment officer Kristiaan Kroon says there is already a convergence of inventory across multiple platforms - not just TV and BVOD - within agencies which may suggest a single team model emerges at some point. But he points out that the convergence conversation has been ongoing since the early part of last decade. In reality, he says the practicalities of taking that approach while still getting into the weeds of TV and digital buying is challenging.

"You’ll still see both teams trade it as they do today for us. What we are seeing is that our digital and TV teams are increasingly working together when it comes to video inventory and how that supplements linear TV," Kroon says. "VOZ is just a further enabler of that conversation and collaboration.

"TV and digital are not one or the other, they don’t need to be viewed as substitutional but complimentary. VOZ will enable them to work a bit closer by having single measurements and audience to look at. We want the information spread as widely as it can. From our TV traders, digital, planning, strategy, insights and so on, I want them to engage with everyone to get the best outcomes."

Owner's perspective

Seven's chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette says his network would like to see TV and digital teams merge but acknowledges that will have to take place organically.

"I don’t think anyone is going to restructure their entire team as a result of VOZ becoming fully operational. What we will start to see over time is the teams coming closer and closer together - because that’s where clients are heading toward," he says. "Advertisers already see BVOD as part of both digital and television as one, once they understand its function in the marketing mix."

Nine director of television sales Richard Hunwick takes a different stance. He sees value in both digital and TV teams trading on BVOD inventory once VOZ has launched.

Traditional TV buying teams will need to remain focused on the larger brand-building strategies that come alongside linear TV advertising, he argues, while those in the digital space will utilise VOZ and BVOD for the middle of the marketing funnel. 

He uses an automotive example to explain Nine's thinking:

"If you think about a car manufacturer launching a new model. At the top end of the funnel, we see them advertising on TV and BVOD to drive reach, awareness and create an appetite for that brand and new car.

"In the mid level of the funnel what you have the potential to do is target television by postcodes, so we could put dealer ads in the middle that actually come through from a digital buy and we can tag the same ad with a price point and dealer logo and just serve it to their distinct area.

"That’s how you can execute it and how you can see it being utilised across two different functions for separate reasons."

More than an agency debate

MiQ ANZ chief executive Jason Scott believes more agile agencies that are early adopters of technology with clear programmatic strategies will be first to realise the opportunities BVOD and VOZ present to advertisers - regardless of which team handles what. Instead, he suggests the core focus should be how the inventory can be effectively used for brand building.

"Sure, the introduction of VOZ represents an opportunity for agencies to have a look at how what skill sets they have and what they are going to need. But this doesn't need to be a radical and cost-heavy change, it could include bringing in more types of skills but also realising that maybe they need less of what they currently have."

Adobe AdCloud APAC boss, Phil Cowlishaw, agrees the question of agency buying structures is a sideshow as far as advertisers are concerned.

"Marketer conversations will be less around an agency model and more driven towards finding the most effective reach against their strategic target audience and ensuring they are delivering a really strong brand experience," says Cowlishaw.

Regardless of team structures, those that can deliver sharper insight and better results will win - when VOZ finally comes to market.