Rich media encompasses a wide range of advertising vehicles, with new ones being introduced regularly. Here are just a few of the options available under the banner of rich media advertising.

Rich Media

1. HTML-enhanced banners incorporate Web-style features such as drop-down menus with animated GIFs and other HTML elements, providing rich-media benefits without the major expense of streaming.

2. Streaming banners are traditional banners with streaming video content within the banner. The video clip can generally be sized to fit a traditional banner or to fit many rectangular sizes.

3. Streaming ads play to a captive audience immediately after a user clicks and while the requested content is loading. It’s a logical segue to an ad as it doesn’t compete with other ads or editorial content.

4. Java Applets can include animated graphics Rich Media and forms and can be included in an HTML message. Their major benefit is that they don’t require any additional software or plug-ins. Most operating systems already contain Java(TM) interpreters.

5. In-stream ads – also known as gateways, interstitial, or bumpers — are TV-like spots that pop up between Web pages and are inserted in audio or video streams, either live or on-demand. When placed at the beginning of the stream, this type of gateway or lead-in ad yields the highest CPM.

That said, don’t throw out the gifs and jpegs – these old standbys can still fill in to provide a critical component to maintaining frequency of exposure.