Digitaland Advertising Blog

“It’s just a banner ad. No one even clicks on those.”

Sound familiar? For many digital marketing teams, it’s a struggle to convince decision makers that digital ads deserve the same creative attention as a TV or print campaign.

And it’s a shame. Because with the right digital production agency, rich media ads are a powerful tool in any brand’s marketing toolbox. They can boost engagement with consumers, improve brand awareness and recall, drive campaign objectives and more.

Brush up on your rich media ad knowledge below and become a custom creative champion for digital ads.

The possibilities are endless with rich media ads…

Rich media ads enable brands to turn almost any campaign idea into a reality.  You want video, animation, multiple gamification elements and two calls to action, all tied together in one tasteful, humorous and memorable ad, just like we did in the above Nivea ad?

No problem.

The key to tapping into the potential of rich media ads: a good digital production agency that’s experienced in building high-impact ads that meet ad server specs and your campaign objectives.

…but just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

Any time a new trend or technology comes on the scene, people tend to go overboard using it in everything. Flash animation, Bedazzlers, butter in coffee…. It’s a long list and rich media ads are the latest victim. For every balanced, tasteful banner ad, there are many more that pack every rich media capability into the tiny 300×600 (or smaller) space.

The goal is quality of creative elements, not quantity of creative elements. Focus on your audience and campaign objectives, then build a compelling ad around those. A knowledgeable digital production partner can help you find the balance between eye-catching and eye-burning.

Take advantage of mobile….

Digital Creative Production

It’s no secret that consumers spend a lot of time on their devices. And most of your target audience uses multiple devices at once. So, take advantage of the portability and mobility of mobile devices and design campaigns with mobile-first ads.

That’s right – have your digital production agency build ads exclusively for mobile. Don’t just rig your desktop digital ads for mobile.

Some mobile-specific ideas to incorporate:

• Geo-targeting capabilities
• Motion-interactive ads
• 360 ads elements
• Exclusive offers that can be redeemed nearby

…but don’t forget desktop

It’s not enough to design mobile-first. Mobile is growing and undeniably powerful, but desktop still deserves a place in your campaign strategy. Collaborate with your digital production agency on the best desktop-specific ads for your campaign objectives that complement your mobile efforts.  

Quality creative captures attention…

Dynamic banner ads

What’s the most valuable asset in today’s frenetically-paced world? It’s not time or even money. It’s attention.

And the only way you can capture attention and stand out from the competition is with quality creative in your digital ads.

What does that look like?

• Viewer-centered (compelling messaging, address pain points or goals)
• Entertaining (humor, interesting information, gamification)
• Interactive (enables the viewer to control their experience)
• Attractive (balanced colors, high-resolution visuals)
• Clear next steps (call to action that’s easy to find and understand)

For inspiration, look no further than the above ad we built for Monsanto.

…but bad creative hurts your brand

High Quality Banners

Imagine Nike decision makers discussing their next TV campaign and saying, “It’s just a TV promotion. It doesn’t have to be perfect or even good.” It’s a laughable idea because Nike’s decision makers wouldn’t do that. The resources that go into a TV campaign are extensive.

But Nike decision makers also know it’s not just about the resources or the platform. They realize every piece of creative they put out reflects on the Nike brand, including HTML5 banner ads. That’s why they insist on quality from their digital production agencies, like the campaign we built for them below.

Interactive production – Best digital ads

Avoid bad creative and steer away from building digital ads that are:

• • Irrelevant (no value offered to viewer)
  • Intrusive (pop-ups, auto-playing, no clear option to close)
  • Forgettable (don’t grab attention immediately)
  • Visually overwhelming (loud colors, too much animation)
  • Missing a clear call to action (what they should do and why)

The next time you hear the outdated tripe that digital ads don’t need to be intentional or creative, you’ll be ready.

Ready to build high-impact rich media ads for your next campaign? Drop us a line!