For any player in the media, being able to research and leverage technology to remain relevant is crucial. For Nielsen, this is no exception. In fact, Nielsen’s Media Lab is leading the way in digital research, placing particular emphasis on new research methodologies and emerging technologies. What’s more is that the lab has grown at an accelerated pace over the last five years while remaining at the vanguard in innovative research.
It’s vital for Nielsen to evolve continuously, and for that to happen, we need to encourage and develop the ideations of new minds. Students often dare greatly with big ideas, but don’t have resources, aid or funding. That’s where the lab’s fellowship program comes into play. The Nielsen Media Lab fellowship program unites forward-thinking, creative and passionate students with the resources and support of Nielsen. Each fellow has the freedom to research their own topic, with the guidance and backing of seasoned lab researchers. In this relationship, our fellows have thought big and delivered results. Where students benefit from the educational opportunity, Nielsen benefits from the inflow of new ideas and excitement.
It should come as no surprise that there are many great minds behind it, and the fellows at the Nielsen Media Lab are no exception.
The fellowship program started in the summer of 2016 with the lab’s first fellow, Noel Berry, who was a senior at the University of Southern California at the time. His goal was to explore engagement in virtual reality. Noel designed and executed a custom study testing evaluating the impact of different sizes of virtual objects on viewer memory. He developed the virtual web experience, fielded the study, and completed his analysis along with then UCLA student Ben Haggerty in Nielsen’s Hollywood office.
Nielsen Media Lab’s second fellow, Oliver Gladfelter, was chosen for our second summer fellowship while he was a junior at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Oliver designed his research plan in the Nielsen Hollywood office, managed an in-lab study in one of our partner Las Vegas facilities, and finalized his research and analysis in New York City.
Nielsen fellows unearth critical and nuanced insights around specific questions. If you know a college student in NYC or LA who is driven to explore what the drivers and consequences of a rapidly changing media environment, encourage them to apply for our spring 2018 class of Lab Fellows.
