GfK and IMDA unveil unified audience data with Singapore's new SG-TAM 2.0
The next-generation SG-TAM 2.0 brings unified data insights across broadcast, social media, and streaming, empowering media and advertising firms.
GfK Media Measurement and Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have rolled out SG-TAM 2.0, a major upgrade to Singapore’s TV Audience Measurement system, originally launched in 2016. The enhanced version will cover viewership and engagement on social media and streaming platforms, helping media and advertising companies better understand cross-platform consumption in Singapore.
The Singapore TV Audience Measurement, or SG-TAM, is a system that tracks what people are watching in Singapore. Traditionally, this tool has focused on television viewership, helping broadcasters understand how many people tune in to different shows on various channels. This information is crucial for media companies and advertisers, as it helps them understand what types of content attract viewers and how they can tailor their programming to reach the right audience.
“SG-TAM 2.0 provides a comprehensive view of how Singaporeans engage with content across multiple devices and platforms,” says Giacomo Catanoso, commercial director Asia at GfK Media Measurement. "It enables broadcasters and advertisers to measure their content’s reach across both traditional and digital channels in a unified way.”
Unlike its predecessor, SG-TAM 2.0 doesn’t just track broadcast TV but integrates data from a range of Video on Demand (VOD) and social media platforms, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.
SG-TAM 2.0 is designed to be a single-source measurement tool, offering independent, integrated data that spans broadcast TV and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, bridging the gap between traditional and digital media metrics. With SG-TAM 1.0, data focused primarily on traditional broadcast TV audiences, providing insights limited to TV viewership patterns.
SG-TAM 2.0, however, is equipped to capture a much broader picture, monitoring content consumption across both linear and digital spaces—ranging from Smart TVs to mobile devices. This cross-platform data provides media professionals with deeper insights to inform programming choices and more effectively plan campaigns.
According to GfK, the integrated data from SG-TAM 2.0 will help advertisers plan more effective campaigns across multiple platforms by showing where audiences are most engaged. “This upgrade offers an unprecedented look at content performance across platforms,” Catanoso explains. “For example, we can now tell how many people are watching a show on Netflix compared to the same show airing on broadcast TV or how viewers engage with related content on social media.”
This integrated approach allows advertisers to target campaigns more precisely and invest in content that is truly resonating with their audiences.
The development of SG-TAM 2.0 came through IMDA’s Open Innovation Platform (OIP), a program that allows companies to crowdsource solutions from technology providers, startups, and research institutions. Prototyped and tested through real-world applications, SG-TAM 2.0 has been fine-tuned to meet the needs of Singapore’s media landscape.
Justin Ang, IMDA’s assistant chief executive for media, innovation, communications, and marketing, noted, “With audiences consuming more content on demand and on multiple platforms, we needed a system that could provide a fuller view of how, when, and where people are watching. SG-TAM 2.0 delivers on that by expanding SG-TAM’s capabilities beyond traditional TV.”
Implications for marketers
For marketers, SG-TAM 2.0’s unified data is a game-changer in how campaigns can be planned and targeted. With the system’s detailed cross-platform insights, marketers gain a clear understanding of their audiences’ viewing habits, tracking engagement across broadcast, social media, and streaming channels. This integrated approach allows advertisers to align their messaging more closely with their target demographics, reaching audiences more effectively.
SG-TAM 2.0 also enables marketers to quickly respond to shifts in viewership patterns. Instead of piecing together fragmented data from various sources, advertisers now have a clear, holistic view of audience preferences. This insight empowers them to allocate resources wisely, maximizing both campaign performance and return on investment across multiple channels.
Finally, SG-TAM 2.0 offers brands the ability to measure campaign success with a more comprehensive view of cross-platform metrics. SG-TAM 2.0 has been rolled out progressively since October 2024 and provides a streamlined measurement solution for marketers navigating Singapore's complex, multi-platform media landscape.
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