Rich Media is not a crucial part of your digital marketing mix. There, I’ve said it. After spending three years working at one of the best known and respected Rich Media providers in the world, six weeks back in the agency-world has re-taught me this.

Sure, Rich Media can increase brand awareness, get users to spend time with your brand, and give you a whole host of neat metrics, but there are many other cost-effective ways to achieve similar, if not better, results.

What is Rich Media Really?

There’s a reason why top brands are the main players in the Rich Media world—when you’re a huge, well-known brand it’s important to stay relevant and at the front of people’s mind.  But just as the number of brands utilizing TV as a medium is limited due to cost implications; the same is true for Rich Media. In a nut shell, Rich Media is cool but expensive.

I’ve always personified Rich Media as the popular kid in school that everyone wants to say they’re friends with. He gets by on charm and good looks (enticing creative), wears the hottest designer threads (latest technology), attends the best parties (top websites), wins football games but does poorly in school (measurable), turns heads as he walks down the hall (millions of impressions) but most people are too intimidated to talk to him (low interaction rates.) Flash forward to the five year reunion though, and is he still a big deal? Not likely. He needs the isolation of high school and his core group of buddies (PPC, Email, Social & Standard Flash) to support him and keep up the hype. In other words, on his own, Rich Media would probably fall flat on his face.

When Does Rich Media Make Sense?

Rich Media makes sense when you have a big budget and your main objectives are brand awareness and brand interaction time. Even with a strategic and highly targeted media buy, brand has to be a top priority or you’ll likely be disappointed by your COM. Yes, Rich Media ads can certainly have a direct marketing message with limitless possibilities on content—coupon downloads, e-commerce, store locators, sweepstakes entry forms, etc.—but if your goal is simply to get users to click through to your site, then Standard Flash and PPC are much more appropriate and cost-effective.

Does It Make Sense for You?

Before adding Rich Media to your marketing plan, you should ask yourself the following five yes-or-no questions:

1. Am I using Standard Flash but feeling frustrated by the limited functionality and available metrics?
2. Is my website user-friendly, and updated with the latest and most relevant content?
3. Do I have an on-going PPC campaign for my brand, with smaller PPC campaigns sprinkled in throughout the year for promotions and products?
4. Am I successfully engaging customers via social channels like Facebook and Twitter?
5. Do I have a strategic email program in place?

If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, your budget will be better spent on growing and improving the other components of your marketing mix. If you answered ‘yes’ to these, then Rich Media may be for you.