In this episode of The Digital Executive, Brian Thomas welcomes Dr. Duane Varan, CEO of MediaScience and MediaPet, and one of the world’s most published researchers in advertising science. Dr. Varan shares the remarkable story of how a call from Disney unexpectedly pulled him from academia into commercial research—leading to the creation of the Disney Ad Innovation Lab and ultimately the rise of MediaScience as a global leader in audience measurement.

Dr. Varan explains how neuro metric tools—skin conductance, heart rate, facial coding—reveal the real emotional story behind audience reactions, often contradicting traditional surveys. He highlights surprising findings from political debates, global campaigns, and cross-cultural studies, showing how unconscious responses drive far more than people admit.

The conversation takes a critical turn as Dr. Varan warns about the industry’s growing reliance on unvalidated AI “attention scores,” calling them a major risk to decision-making and scientific rigor. He contrasts this with promising breakthroughs, including MediaPet’s ability to recreate big-budget ads with AI in hours—delivering the same impact as originals and transforming how brands test creative concepts.

From ethics and transparency to the next decade of AI-driven creative development, Dr. Varan offers a candid, insightful look at the future of advertising and why the industry must balance innovation with evidence-based science.

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