Although many employers are just barely beginning to experiment with the standard gif banner ad (the ones that just animates – no audio, video, expansion, etc), the rest of the interactive industry has been using a lot of rich media. A rich media ad is a banner ad that incorporates video, audio, expansion, data capture, games, polls, etc. These ads are more engaging for users and can offer a stronger branding experience than a standard gif.
Marketing Charts has charts and data from a study conducted by InsightExpress and commissioned by Viewpoint Corporation. The data strongly supports the use of rich media over the standard gif.
Brand Awareness
Ad Favorability
Brand Favorability
Why don’t employers use more rich media? Usually because the banners are more expensive to design and they take longer to develop. However, the increase in the effectiveness of the campaign can make the return on investment for a rich media banner higher than a standard gif. The data from campaigns that I have run with rich media for my clients definitely supports this.
Rich media can be a very strong addition to your next recruitment media campaign. It takes a bit more planning and creative muscle, but it is definitely worth it.
Some rich media vendors to check out:
You should see http://www.vcruit.com, they do very effective Employment Branding Company Tours and Job Tours. They stream directly to the viewer and have share button for viral marketing. Employment Branding Company Tours are brief and effective and start under $1,000.