• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, September 30, 2011

ESPN has signed on as the charter subscriber of a promising new media research system analyzing the actual "day-in-the-life" media behavior of American consumers. The system, dubbed USA TouchPoints, was developed by New York-based Media Behavior Institute, which is licensing a methodology that has been made popular in Europe.

ESPN Vice President-Integrated Media Research Glenn Enoch said the goal was to utilize the data to help turn the multiplatform media company's "cross-platform research from a special project to a standard practice.

"We believe that the ability to deliver insight on media consumption in the context of a sports fans' hour-by-hour total life experience will bring us valuable insight into the use of our content across all platforms, and deliver better value to our advertising clients," Enoch stated.

The Media Behavior Institute, which was incubated by New York-based research consultancy Sequent Partners, and former Ball State University Center for Media Design Director Mike Bloxham, is being backed by both Nielsen and GfK MRI, which have equity stakes in the business.

The company is premised on the notion that the Touchpoints methodology can provide a more "consumer-centric" understanding of how people actually use media that will lead to better media and marketing decisions.

The method utilizes a smartphone app enabling the Media Behavior Institute to capture insights on each respondent's media exposure and interaction throughout their day.

"The service includes a look at all media used at different times of the day, as well as where respondents are, what they are doing, who they are with and how they are feeling," the company said, adding that other subscribers will be announced in the next several weeks.