• by Steve Smith  @popeyesm, December 14, 2012

Location-related features in mobile advertising is starting to catch on with users in a big way, according to a survey of 170 campaigns by rich media provider Celtra. In the company’s report on Q3 2012 Rich Media Monitor Report, engagement rates for location features in rich media spiked 185% over Q2 metrics. While only 7% of these campaigns had location features within the creative, those aspects of the ad enjoyed the highest rate of engagement (18.8%). Also strong in rich media are gaming features, present only 5% of the time in these measured campaigns, but with 13.9% engagement. Video continues to rule the rich ad world, present 45% of the time. But its engagement rate is 9.6%.

The metrics suggest that consumers are coming to expect more seamless and satisfying experiences from a localization within an ad and much more willing than in the past to activate the feature.

Celtra’s metrics obviously are aimed at promoting the role of rich media ad units in the mobile marketing mix. Almost half of the rich media campaigns involved an expandable unit. On average, these ads were expanded at a rate of .84%, Celtra says. Two critical factors in increasing these rates involve animation in the banner or a direct call to action inviting the expansion of the banner. They report that average ad engagement for these formats once activated was 13.7% for the quarter, with expandable banners enjoying a 14.5% rate and interstitials an 11.9% rate. The average time spent with these units was 32 seconds.

Click-through rates on the various formats were highest for the interstitials (10.2%), followed by expandable units (8%) and trailed considerably by banners (1.4%).

Celtra argues that rich media is carving out a role at the middle of the purchase funnel, moving consumers toward purchase consideration and intent.