Major
global broadcasters and advertising brands are beating a path to the door
of Murdoch University’s Interactive Television
Research Institute (ITRI).
ITRI, whose client list includes the American Broadcasting Corporation, Turner Network and sports networks like ESPN, has been successfully operating from its campus research facility since 1998. ITRI director Professor Duane Varan said the Institute’s ability to identify new trends in media and accurately measure audience responses had led to a consistent high demand for its services.
“We look at early trends, like for example the telescopic model (advertisements that last for up to five minutes) for advertising, and then move quickly to gain an understanding of them,” Professor Varan said.
“We are then able to chart a path into the future for clients that is based on firm data and not just opinion.”
ITRI’s audience research laboratory at Murdoch features mock living rooms which simulate the at-home viewing experience of viewers. Sophisticated audience measurement tools, such as eye tracking equipment and wireless perception analysers, are able to measure an audience’s physiological and emotional response to a medium.
“We use it to test all kinds of future possibilities and give feedback to our industry partners in research projects,” Professor Varan said.
“Our focus is not so much on the technology which is transient, but on what makes audiences tick.”
Professor Duane Varan
“Our focus is not so much on the technology which is transient, but on what makes audiences tick.”
ITRI is staffed by five full-time researchers and draws on a broad range of University expertise in areas such as education, psychology, information technology and electronic marketing.
Professor Varan said the television industry was in the midst of one of the biggest periods of change it had experienced since its inception. The internet and pay television and other technologies represented significant market disruption for advertisers and broadcasters.
The advent of digital television opened up possibilities for greater picture definition, more audience interactivity and content enhancement.
Some examples of this interaction could include a viewer’s decision to choose a narration stream for a documentary or pausing a program to obtain additional explanation.
“The future is exciting,“ Professor Varan said. Students benefit from ITRI’s exciting work, gaining placements in global advertising companies such as Proctor and Gamble.
