What are rich media banners?

Rich media banners are online display ads that use interactive elements like video, animations, carousels or dynamic content to grab attention and drive higher engagement than standard static banners. They load inside ad placements on websites, apps or platforms such as programmatic display networks.

In contrast to simple image ads, rich media banners can react to user behavior, expand on hover or click, and pull in live data such as prices or product feeds. For growth-focused B2B and e-commerce brands, this format allows you to tell a more complete story in the same media space and often at a similar cost per impression.

How rich media banners work in modern campaigns

Technically, rich media banners are built with HTML5 and JavaScript so they can include animations, audio, video and interactive layouts. They are served through ad servers and demand-side platforms, often as part of programmatic display advertising campaigns. The banners track user interactions like hovers, expansions, video views and clicks to feed back detailed engagement data.

For teams using platforms such as DV360 or other DSPs, rich media banners slot into the same buying workflows as standard display, but come with more creative options and extra reporting. They can also work hand in hand with dynamic creative optimisation where the banner layout stays the same but the content changes per audience or impression.

Key advantages of rich media banners

  • Higher engagement Rich media banners typically deliver more interactions and longer dwell time than static display units.
  • Better storytelling You can show multiple products, explain complex services or combine video and copy without sending users to a landing page immediately.
  • Deeper measurement Interaction metrics such as expansions, time in ad and video completion rates help you understand real engagement, not just clicks.
  • Stronger brand impact Motion, sound and interactivity make your brand more memorable, especially in competitive B2B or e-commerce niches.
  • Flexible targeting As part of programmatic buying, rich media banners can use audiences, whitelists and inventory deals to reach exactly the right users.

Together, these benefits make rich media banners a strong option when you want to build awareness and still keep an eye on performance metrics such as view-through conversions and assisted revenue.

Use cases for B2B and e-commerce marketers

For B2B companies, rich media banners are ideal for explaining complex offers in a compact space. You can embed short explainer videos, show product diagrams or highlight key features that would not fit in a simple image. For e-commerce, rich media banners can display rotating product galleries, current promotions or live prices to pull users deeper into the funnel.

When you run rich media banners through a programmatic stack, you can combine them with strategies around CPM, frequency and inventory curation. If you are exploring topics like CPM in programmatic buying or SSP and DSP setups, rich media fits naturally into that ecosystem and can share the same data, audiences and attribution models.

Best practices for effective rich media banners

To get results, keep the core message of your rich media banners visible without any interaction so users still get value if they do not click. Limit file size and animation length to protect page speed and viewability. Always design mobile first because a large share of rich media inventory is on smartphones, especially in Belgium and the wider European region.

Finally, test different concepts, story lengths and interaction types and let the data decide what scales. With a lean, embedded marketing team like 6th Man, you can align rich media banners with your broader growth strategy, from programmatic display to landing page optimisation and conversion tracking.