• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, May 14, 2008

Forget commercial ratings. Disney is building a new research lab aiming to gain insight into viewer reaction to a range of advertising. The goal is finding a more advanced way to demonstrate engagement and effectiveness, the company said.

The research lab will be in Austin, Texas, and will conduct year-round research that will partly rely on behavioral and physical reactions to advertising to gauge impact. The lab will serve as a nerve and processing center for tests conducted at other facilities across the country.

Disney, which will use the results partly for sales operations for its ABC, ESPN and other networks, said viewer responses to split screens, brand integrations, addressable advertising and mobile content are among the testing topics.

The research will be conducted in partnership with Australian professor Duane Varan, also the executive director of the Interactive Television Research Institute.

ESPN chief George Bodenheimer said the initiative will "reveal deeper insights about media and advertising engagement that will lead to innovative solutions for our advertisers."