A recent survey released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project concludes that home broadband adoption grew by 40% from March 2005 to March 2006, twice the growth rate of the year before. This is great news for online advertisers anxious to expand their use of Rich Media to make their advertisements more engaging and interactive. Now instead of a static banner ad, there are limitless possibilities. Rich Media is an umbrella expression for online advertising enhanced by motion, sound, video or some sort of interactive element. These new arenas of audio, video, and interactivity present almost limitless opportunities to brand, educate, or just plain entertain online audiences. And video especially, is growing. Google just announced they will begin offering click-to-play video ads. These ads will be displayed on sites that are part of the Google network.

Today, consumers have more control over their media, and advertisers must work harder than ever to capture the attention of the consumer. Rich media is one way to break-through the clutter. But just like other mediums, the ad must speak to your target audience with a message that is relevant. And it doesn’t hurt to have it be creative, funny or different. If you have seen some clever use of Rich media advertising, share it with us.

But hold on, just as penetration of high speed broadband continues to grow, these rich media technologies will also evolve and change quickly....