Savvy marketers know engaging creative increases interaction rate, time spent, and engagement, but still only 5 percent of online ads today include some form of rich media.
Although a recent comScore study shows that less than 0.1 percent of users click through standard online display ads, the web is flooded with static GIF and JPEG ads, as well as basic Flash that only allows consumers to click through to a site. This is a missed opportunity for marketers investing significant dollars on what are often irrelevant impressions -- media sitting on the periphery of content that goes unnoticed and un-clicked.
There are several myths and debates about when and why brands should use rich media, with measurement, conversion, reach, and cost being key considerations. Is an interaction equivalent to a click-through? How does it ultimately relate to conversion? What are the benefits of rich media, and why should you incur the additional creative costs to produce it? Consumer expectations for online advertising have changed, and so have the possibilities for high-performing, creative executions. As marketers struggle to provide content consumers want, what was once the standard no longer applies, and so marketers should adapt to new strategies and capabilities that rich media offers for engagement, reach and measurable campaign success.
Myth 1: Click-through alone can measure the success of rich media
Although click-through rates for rich media exceed those of standard and Flash formats, using click-through as the key metric of success is outdated.
It is important to think of rich media as a "traveling microsite" and evaluate success as you would for your website: measuring views, interactions, activities, time spent, and clicks on key activities. You would base the success of your site not only by how many users land there, but how they interact with and consume site content. Rich media creates an extension of your site and integrates activities that engage and influence versus flat images that simply point consumers to other destinations.
CVS Pharmacy created an in-banner circular that enables users to browse local product and pricing information, create and print a shopping list, and find their nearest store without requiring a click-through. This rich, interactive ad experience extends the reach of the CVS circular site and has been successful in driving consumers to the store.
Radio Shack also effectively illustrated this notion with a holiday campaign that enabled consumers to create a recipient-specific shopping list and email it to themselves or a friend, creating a brand reminder and second touch point post-interaction and without requiring a click-through.
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