Disney Sets Up Ad Research Lab

BURBANK, May 13: The Walt
Disney Company is looking to enhance the research it can offer its clients
about viewer engagement, announcing plans to set up an emerging-media and
advertising research lab.

Developed in conjunction with
Professor Duane Varan, the executive director of the Interactive Television
Research Institute, the lab will seek to understand audience behavior and
reactions to advertising. The lab will take up more than 3,000 square feet in
Austin, Texas and will be equipped with advanced research techniques, including
biometric measurement tools. It will look to test both traditional and emerging
advertising models, including interactivity, split screens, product integration
and sponsorships, as well as advertising on broadband video and mobile devices.

“In today’s rapidly
evolving media environment, we need to go beyond traditional forms of research
to ensure an effective connection with our audience,” said George
Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN and ABC Sports and the co-chair of
Disney Media Networks. “This on-going initiative will employ advanced methods
to reveal deeper insights about media and advertising engagement that will lead
to innovative solutions for our advertisers and our media platforms.”

“By coupling Disney Media
Networks’ top-quality content with advanced new research practices, we have an
important opportunity to further explore the connection that viewers of all
ages have with our entertainment, news and sports programming,” added Anne
Sweeney, the president of Disney-ABC Television Group and co-chair of
Disney Media Networks. “We look forward to working with Duane to learn more
about the viewing experience across audiences and, in doing so, to heighten its
value for the public, our advertising and distribution partners, and the
industry as a whole.”

—By Irene Lew