Some 39 percent of web display ad impressions for Fortune 500 companies in 2004 were categorized as rich media by Nielsen/NetRatings, while automotive and telecommunications companies dedicated over half of their total online impressions in 2004 to rich media, and entertainment companies devoted almost half, according to a DoubleClick report issued today.

In terms of volume, financial services was the top category for rich media advertisers, having accounted for nearly 50 billion impressions in 2004. Telecommunications was second with over 44 billion; software and B2B companies, with smaller overall advertising levels, served 5.5 to 6 billion rich media impressions.

Commissioned from Nielsen/NetRatings AdRelevance and Dynamic Logic, "The Evolution of Rich Media Advertising: Current Market Trends, Success Metrics and Best Practices" examines which industries are leading adopters, how marketers are measuring audience engagement and brand impact, and what emerging rich media technologies, such as online video, interests them most.

From a publishing perspective, music/streaming media sites were the top category in terms of the proportion of rich media online ad inventory - with almost 45 percent. Sports/recreation sites, which attract advertiser categories such as entertainment, financial services and automotive manufacturers, are also heavy rich media users, according to DoubleClick.

The leading web portals, including their web-based email services, dominate the rich media market in terms of volume of impressions.

The full report is available at DoubleClick's website, at www.doubleclick.com/knowledgecentral.