If you reward them, they will come…
There was a great article in ClickZ (that I missed earlier this month) from Dorian Sweet, following up from an article he wrote back in 2005.
He points out the rules for for executing an effective rich media ad can be broken up like a three-act play:
Act I: The Interaction Layer. This is where audience interest must be piqued. Elevate intrigue so the user wants to start playing with your premise.
Act II: The Engagement Layer. Your audience is involved as deeply as possible, playing with games, polls, photos, video, whatever. It should all be entertaining and not too indulgent. Attention spans aren’t getting any longer these days.
Act III: The Reward Layer. The audience wants a payoff for time spent, whether it’s a freebie, some bonus content, or an invite to a relevant e-mail newsletter. Make it a worthwhile reward. A cheap gift is as good as giving the user a chance to slap your brand in the face.
I won’t try to paraphrase, reword, or copy/paste any of his article because it is all so good — check it out here. Other than the Act I and II titles getting swapped in his article (not sure how that went to press), this is the approach we have been taking for years to ensure you reach your audience and execute your campaign objective.