A new study sheds light on how well online ad campaigns work with and without rich media. According to researchers with InsightExpress, campaigns actually perform better when rich media - online video, Flash and HD3D - practices are included.

Taking into account the fact that premium rich media solutions have the positive impact on brands and business, we can predict that online product view presentation can be changed from simple rich media to more premium rich media.

During the first quarter of 2007, researchers explored brand awareness and recall, purchase intent, webpage favorability and ad interaction. Unaided brand awareness increased by 229% with rich media, ad favorability increased by 108% and purchase intent increased by 77%. So, the engagement and interactions of users with rich media was far greater comparing with users who did not have access to rich media practices.

It should be added that there is the positive impact of deploying more engaging formats to increase a user's interaction with an advertisement.

It is predicted that rich media would grow in the nearest future over the next few years as more advertisers see the benefits. Currently, rich media applications represent only about 2% of the total online ad spend.

The Future Of Rich Media. 3D online interactive product presentation. What will the future bring?

It's a long walk to 3d presentations that look effective and really _mature_, but we're on the right way as TouchBubble perfectly shows. Sure, in the next 5 years a mature 3d environment will be not only a plus but a real commodity when talking about on-line.

The success of 3d Worlds like Second Life shows that there's a deep need for a digital environment that gives us back the third dimension that digital interfaces so far have make us forget. We have a big problem here, because as human beings we're totally immersed in a 3d world where basic assumptions like perspective and distance, above and below, have a profound meaning on our understanding of the world as we know it. This deep knowledge is totally useless in today's digital interfaces. But that is not a real problem, that is just a naive stage of development both of technology and interfaces.

In the next 5 years we will get 3rd dimension back to our digital world (as long as we will move greater parts of our lives on-line) and we will also see a growing diffusion of real (not simulated) 3d technologies like new generation holograms. That will open up to a total new range of opportunities both for in-store and exhibit presentations. Imagine a world where your full catalogue of products is always available (ie. a car store cannot have the full color range available in the limited space of his store) to be seen and appreciated by customers. Imagine 3d projected obiects that can be touched, zoomed in, easily rotated.

And, beware, I'm not only talking about off-line presentations, I'm talking about on-line too. In a 5 years time 3d screens and 3d projections will be available for a mid-scale diffusion and I guess that soon people will want to have them at home too.

We're not far from that, technologies are already available for that. What still lacks is a deep work about interfaces for this 3d digital world. There's a long way to run but we're very close to that.

Marcello Rinaldi

The Future Of Rich Media On Local Sites

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video may speak volumes. Yet despite the popularity of rich media elsewhere on the Internet, the use of photos and videos on local sites is in its infancy. And with earbuds sprouting across the human landscape delivering podcasts on all manner of topics, it is curious that users cannot easily subscribe to the audio vignettes about local businesses. What then is the future of rich media on local sites?

There has been increased innovation and consolidation in the local space. We have seen the roll out of interesting features and sites that deploy combinations of rich media to enhance the user experience and offer new ways for merchants to participate. But as a group, local sites have not yet harnessed media to full effect, making it a fascinating category in which to be engaged, and one with many opportunities.

Here is an informal look at some pros and cons associated with adding incremental forms of media to the local-focused marketplace—an area largely defined to-date by traditional text-based sites.

Video

Pros: The power of video to captivate would be hard to deny, as evidenced by television and YouTube. Now low-cost, professional-grade spots about local businesses are emerging with the help of upstarts like TurnHere and Spot Runner. From bakeries to beauty salons, roofers to real estate agents, some local merchants can present their stories and points of differentiation in a very effective way using video. The videos can be compelling and useful in helping users make decisions about local businesses, and they give merchants a new means of participating in the conversation about their businesses. And with more than 15 million businesses across the country, user-contributed video may be an essential element for providing coverage and offering additional perspectives.

Cons: One video may be compelling, but what about ten or twenty for the same business? Will they be helpful for making a decision or overwhelming? Text reviews can be scanned, but videos cannot. Some techniques for sorting and filtering text reviews can be applied to video today, but additional paradigms will be needed for managing video content on local sites. And user-contributed video reviews would likely encounter similar challenges as text reviews, such as the fact that the vocal minority contribute the majority of reviews.

As has been well documented in cases involving both videos and photos, copyright issues can and do arise, so it is important for all business and Web site developers to be aware of and respect the intellectual property of others.

Audio

Pros: As podcast have shown, audio is also a compelling media experience which is ideally suited for use both at the computer and away from it. Subscribing to the newest descriptions and reviews of local businesses on the way into work or back home may inspire a listener to patronize. For the merchant, it is another opportunity to reach customers, and for a local site it adds a rich experience and can extend its reach beyond the computer.

Cons: Podcasts are a linear experience like video, and thus they too are not easily scanned or managed in bulk. The vocal minority would literally be vocal. And audio alone would be deemed too ‘old school’ in the age of YouTube. It is therefore more likely to be effective as a complement to other rich media and information on a local site.

Photos

Pros: Worth a thousand words, photos are also visual gems that can make an otherwise text-rich experience more appealing. A good photo can bring other information about a business to life. It can convey ambiance, show off a product, introduce the staff, aid in finding the building, and go a long way toward encouraging a consumer to select that business. They are easily scanned and provide another effective means for merchants to offer information. The ability to take digital photos is becoming ubiquitous (I’m delighted that my cell phone actually still makes calls) and the popularity of sites like Flickr demonstrates that there are a robust supply of photos and a demand to view them.

Cons: Organizing my own photos is a challenge; organizing the photos of the Web community might be daunting. Just as 100 text reviews may be too much information, 100 photos may be entering the realm of Uncle Harry’s vacation slides. As the numbers grow, it will again be important for the site to add value by providing organization and user controls such as rating, sorting, and filtering.

There is no doubt that the integration of rich media into locally focused online sites is accelerating. There are plenty of innovations to come as we all continue to evolve and improve the local experience. And that said, the core principals of good site development and information management are more important than ever.

What will the future bring? I wish I had a photo.

For more information see: www.TouchBubble.com

Are you wondering whether online 3D rich media really can help you? Is it just glitz and heavy page loads, or is it a genuine tool that can engage your audience and make them want to buy NOW! It definitely should be the latter. Read our helpful tips for making the rich media business case, then discover what these resources can do for you.


http://www.TouchBubble.com

Custom Interior

TouchBubble Expertise and Portfolio: TouchBubble portfolio counts numbers of successfully implemented architecture visualization projects of different complexity level. We specialize in the architectural 3D visualizations and throughout our lifetime produced numerous 3D presentation materials for our Architect-clients, including reputable architectural/real-estate firms.

TouchBubble serves range of industries, covering private building, residential, public, landscape design and industrial constructions. Some work examples are available online in our Gallery for your consideration. We bring turnkey solutions, respected production deadlines, exceptional artistic quality to enable your projects bring business success.

Our recent projects for private cottage design and some public building showing up to be very promising and interesting, since each part of the project requires unique approach to satisfy customer demands. Below are some renderings for currently in-progress projects.

IN-PROGRESS Architectural projects:
(more complete projects are available at the gallery)

IN-PROGRESS Architectural Animations:
(more animation projects are available at the gallery)

Custom Village project animation. Project includes complete design and presentation of over 200 unique cottages, exclusive interiors and outstanding landscape outlooks.