There are more opportunities to connect brands to participatory activities at the moment people are ready to engage. Lately it’s increasingly sophisticated Rich Media ad units that let us bring fresh, dynamic content directly into banners.

One piece of functionality we’re developing is the ability to bring location-based points of interest into a banner to promote engagement offline. I imagine a brand uses this functionality to engage in an initial dialog or exchange with its audience. A site visitor interacts with the messaging in a banner and is rewarded with personal, contextually relevant suggestions. Like the suggestions on Amazon, this ad unit lets you know there’s more to discover and where you’ll probably find something exciting.

For example, a software developer that engages with a brand banner about innovation might be interested in a science exhibit happening at the Museum of Science. The banner can dynamically look up where the developer is located and then serve up some suggested activities. If the developer takes the action of visiting the suggested exhibit, then he’s extended his experience and deepened his connection to the brand.