• by David Goetzl , March 7, 2011

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman reiterated Monday how the company's commitment to research has helped resuscitate networks such as MTV. One emphasis has been a refocus on brand meaning among a current generation of younger consumers.

"We've increased our investment in research -- market research on our viewers, brand research," he told investors Monday. In turn, sturdy insight has hopefully led to smarter content investments -- "focusing the programming around what the research tells us," he said.

In February, Viacom's MTV Networks created a research position for the C-suite, naming Colleen Fahey Rush as chief research officer.

Dauman cited current research efforts to help give VH1 a lift, where there is a move afoot to target a "late-20s" demo -- "adult-sters not the youngsters" -- but with content that has an "edgy sensibility" at the same time.

Dauman also cited a recent emphasis on new programming genres, such as comedy at TV Land, CMT and BET.

Viacom is also looking to de-emphasize program acquisitions, such as UFC on Spike, and own more of its content to benefit from the syndicated market. Original series can also help build a brand versus piggybacking off others.

Separately, Viacom has employed multiple strategies with making Comedy Central late-night series "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" available online. A deal with Hulu has the previous night's episode of each back on the site for free, partly because the shows have a short shelf-life and it can double as a promotional tool.

"We have found that showing last night's show is good marketing for tonight's show," he said.

Dauman said digital deals such as the Hulu arrangement are short-term, since the online video universe remains unpredictable. Viacom's deal with Hulu is set to expire next year.