AGOF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online Forschung)
The Working Group for Online Research (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online Forschung) was established in December 2002. The mission and purpose of the AGOF is to provide transparency and practical standards that are independent of individual interests in online media research. It compiles the necessary performance values – not only for the classic Internet but also for additional segments of digital media – in close collaboration with the market and makes them available in the corresponding studies for this purpose. The leading online marketers of Germany in the AGOF are therefore organised into sections in which they advance the conception, supply and further development of the reach research and planning parameters in cooperation with the market partners in their respective segment
BVDW (German Association for the Digital Economy)
The Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft e.V. (German Association for the Digital Economy) is the organisation that represents the interests of companies in the field of interactive marketing, digital content and interactive added value.The BVDW has interdisciplinary roots, and therefore has an excellent overview of the issues facing the digital industry.
It has taken on the task of making the efficiency and the benefits of digital media transparent, thus promoting their use in the economy as a whole, in society, and in government.The BVDW is engaged in continuous dialogue with politicians, the media and other interest groups, and supports the dynamic development of the sector in a results-oriented, practical and effective way.
The sum of all competences of the members, combined with the defined values and emotions of the association, form the basis for the self-comprehension of the BVDW.
InfOnline
INFOnline GmbH has been active in counting the page impressions on internet sites since 2002. The measurement follows the universal standards set by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online- Forschung (Study Group Online Research, AGOF) and the Informationsgemeinschaft zur Feststel- lung der Verbreitung von Werbeträgern (IVW). The technical measurement is performed with the Scalable Centralised Measurement System (Skalierbares zentrales Messverfahren, SZM) and on a high-performance measurement infrastructure.
The access data collected in course of the measurement conducted by INFOnline is used in turn by AGOF, IVW and ag.ma in order to enable the marketing of “online” media in Germany on the firm basis of comparable, controlled and reliable usage data. For example, IVW publishes the page impressions and visits of their member sites on a monthly basis, while AGOF releases market data and online reach in their quarterly “internet facts” study, and ag.ma announces reach and contact details in their ma online publication four times a year. In addition to these periodicals, the AGOF data is also available for the design of online media strategies in the “TOP” media planning kit.
INFOnline’s customers are able to check the performance indicators of their sites, i.e. in the form of page impressions and visits, analyse them with a specially designed tool and download their ac- cess data in XML format. The data basis is updated hourly. Being the single point of contact for the AGOF study, the ma online and the IVW’s members alike, the Bonn-based company not only of- fers the technical measurement, but also provides extensive services for site owners in connection with all questions relating to technical, organisational and contractual issues.
IVW (German Bureau of Audit Circulations)
The German Bureau of Audit Circulations (IVW) is an independent non-profit organisation which is supported by the media, advertisers and advertising agencies (tripartite). Its purpose is the provision of valid data for the assessment of advertising media.
The IVW has to serve the advertising industry ensuring a fair and transparent competition through establishing and publishing correct and comparable media circulation data (paragraph 2 of the IVW-by-law). Since foundation of the IVW in 1949 it has expanded its control activity continuously and adapted its procedures to the new requirements of the advertising market.
Today, IVW collects and audits circulation of almost every advertising media in Germany. The IVW has been conducting website audits since 1997. The terms are Visits and PageImpressions corresponding to the IFABC standards. The technical approach is a tagging system. The necessary software is run by an independent company. Website owners interested in an IVW audit have to order the measuring software and become IVW member.
The audits are carried out continuously during measuring. For that IVW uses an own specialised audit software following the measuring process. Visits and PageImpressions are published monthly on the IVW website as sums per website. Additionally the PageImpressions per website are classified into content categories. Also the results of the audits and corrections are published. IVW members are allowed to use the IVW logo to point out their membership and audited circulation figures. Members are also allowed to describe their circulation figures as “IVW audited”.
OVK (Circle of Online Marketers)
The OVK (Online-Vermarkterkreis or Circle of Online Marketers) is the central body of online marketers in Germany. Nineteen of the largest German online marketers have come together under the umbrella of the BVDW (Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft e.V. or German Association for the Digital Economy) to steadily raise the profile of online advertising.
The circle's primary aims are to increase market transparency and planning reliability as well as standardisation and quality assurance measures for the industry as a whole.
To this end, the OVK develops standards for advertising formats and reach currencies (“Reichweitenwährungen”) that help make it easier to produce, deliver and monitor online campaigns. These standards are constantly being extended in due consideration of changing market requirements.
VPRT
VPRT was founded in 1984 and represents the interests of companies operating in the field of commercial television, radio and audiovisual services. All over Europe, VPRT is the largest national lobby of private broadcasters and related industries. VPRT is a commercial association without any profit-taking purposes.