At the Advertising Research Foundation’s symposium last Tuesday in New York, Comcast Spotlight said it has struck a partnership with researcher Frank N. Magid Associates to conduct a series of research studies on the effectiveness of video-on-demand ads. Comcast has begun reaching out to marketers and intends to partner with several brands, said Andrew Ward, VP of strategic alliances for Comcast Spotlight. He expects the studies to begin in early July. The studies will augment existing industry metrics from companies such as Rentrak on viewership of VOD programs and ads with data on their qualitative impact, he said.