Often, the nature of a vertical will decide what types of metrics are most important.

For a financial client, explains Harvey, the end-goal is different than that of an entertainment client, for example. Most financial companies are geared toward getting users to open an account or enroll in a product, and thus their campaigns should be focused on offering more information upfront, delivering a simpler, click-driven ad with less video. In this situation, for example, more clicks with less time spent might mean a more qualified click.

Conversely, the entertainment industry generally focuses less on selling something right away and more on generating buzz for an upcoming TV show or movie release. In this situation, a more appropriate ad engages the user, gets them to watch more video and stay with the ad longer instead of clicking through at every opportunity. This helps generate more buzz and thus a larger audience for whatever media property is being advertised.

In addition, EyeWonder's Mike Griffin notes that brands should try to learn as much about rich media as possible in order to make the most informed decisions when asked about their goals for a specific campaign. "Rich media has found a legitimate place in the board room," he says, so do not expect it to fade away.

Arnstein warns that while brands should know what to look for, they should also keep their eyes open for negative interactions:

• How many times did the user stop the video?
• Is the user closing an expandable banner? How many times?

The answers to these questions will not only help brands find out where their ad might be going wrong, but will also help them and their rich media vendor improve the campaign conceptually when needed and in real time when the technology is available.

Finally, remember what is most important.

McCurdy explains, "In an era where digital creative is only limited to the imagination, you need a vendor that can help guide a creative strategy so that it balances new technology relevant to your consumer's ability to understand, interact and adapt to that technology. Too often marketers make the assumption that executing rich media requires the use of the latest dynamic tools, when in fact the use of rich media simply means providing consumers with an enhanced brand experience that remains true to the brand promise."