DoubleClick defines rich media as "online advertising technologically enhanced by motion, sound, video or some sort of interactive element.
The use of rich media is on the rise, due largely to the twinned increases in consumer broadband adoption and ad dollars being spent in online media.
Also see this Wikipedia article.
The power of rich media cannot be disputed with the incredible interaction rates, higher clickthrough rates versus non-rich media units, creative flexibility, depth of the flash canvas and the venerable K size.
Incorporating some portion of rich media into your online campaign is a no brainer-- especially for entertainment and brand advertisers. Understanding how much rich media to use can be a tougher question.
In the next few pages, I'll give you a quick guide to help you answer that question.
Rich media's selling points are simple. It:
- creates greater increases in brand metrics than standard web ads
- impacts attitudinal metrics, such as message association, brand favorability and awareness, more than non-rich media (source: The Evolution of Rich Media Advertising: DoubleClick, September 2005)
- allows you to incorporate video streaming of original content and help drive users to generate it.
Next: Brand impact
Author Notes:
Lydia Estrada is vice president of media services for Ignited Minds and the author of last year's popular In Focus, "The Seven Principles of Effective Online Ads."