Staying on top of mobile advertising best practices and methodology, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) today published a new whitepaper outlining the use of Rich Media ad-formats and units in mobile advertising campaigns.
The new whitepaper, created with the help of numerous member companies, includes definitions, attributes and examples of Rich Media advertising that are currently being used in the marketplace. Within the document, the MMA created a definition for “Rich Media Mobile Ad Units,” which are interactive and/or non-interactive ad units displayed on a mobile web page and/or in a mobile application that offers one or more of the following: (i.) inclusion of streaming video content or animated GIF within the ad unit; (ii.) inclusion of sound; or (iii.) a richer interactive feature set than basic mobile click-through, such as user interaction that occurs through input other than a “click” or “tap.”
Though one would believe Rich Media use in mobile-ad campaigns is large, Millennial Media indicates that in the fourth quarter of 2009, an average of only 19% of U.S. mobile advertisers used Rich Media Mobile Ad Units. While the whitepaper encourages experimentation with the use of Rich Media formats, it’s clear there’s some ambiguity as to how to best use the concept effectively.
In getting a better understanding of guidelines in terms of formatting, the MMA invites companies to share best practices with the MMA’s Mobile Advertising Committee in order to influence future Rich Media Mobile Advertising Guidelines for the industry. As always, the MMA is at the forefront of organizing and interpreting new technologies and methods associated with mobile marketing and advertising, with the new whitepaper being a perfect example of providing an invaluable resource for marketers.
