The New Advertorial: How Native Ads are Changing Publishing

Title goes here The New Advertorial:

How Native Ads are

Changing Publishing

Today’s Discussion

• Shifting Dynamics

• Evolution

• Examples

• Debate

• Do’s & Don’ts

Jump in Anytime

In Search of a Better

Ad Model

• Banner blindness

– 31% of display ads are never seen

– 99.8% of banners are ignored

– 40% of mobile clicks are either accidental or

fraudulent

• CPMs under pressure

– Programmatic buying on the rise

– Avg online eCPM: $2.66-$3.50

– Avg mobile eCPM: $0.88-$1.07

Sources: Trademob, TechCrunch, comScore, MoPub, Forrester, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

Brands are Becoming

Publishers

But They Need Help

Outsourcing + challenges = opportunity

Opportunity =

Native Advertising

• Content provided

by an advertiser

• Integrated into

editorial design

• Non-interruptive

• Clearly labeled

A Brief History

Coining a Term

• “Native monetization systems”

– Facebook Sponsored Stories

– Google AdWords

– Promoted Tweets

Fred Wilson, Union Square Ventures

Photo credit: Joi Ito via Flickr

Early Examples

1

2

3

Native Pioneer: Forbes

• Reader

acceptance

• ‘Most read’ on

Forbes

• 30+ partners

• 20% of total ad

revenue in 2013

Native Pioneer:

BuzzFeed

A New Model for Media?

• 600-700 “social

content advertising”

programs in 2013

• ~$60 million in

revenues

• Brand lift

Plenty of Trial and Error

• Not vetted for

quality

• Misaligned with

the brand

• Negative

comments

deleted

Not Just for Mega-Brands

Accidentally Native

Evolving Formats

‘Native display’

• Integrates videos &

other rich media

• Promotes content,

not products

Everyone’s Jumping

On the Bandwagon

Not Everyone Is a Fan

• “Insidious”

• “A very slippery slope”

• “Destroying the village in order to save it”

Do’s and Don’ts

• DO: Clearly label

native ads as

content provided by

an advertiser

– “sponsored content”

≠ “sponsor content”

• DON’T: Deceive

your readers Intentionally

opaque

Do’s and Don’ts

• DO: Use real

bylines

• DON’T: Write

about the

company or

its products

Do’s and Don’ts

• DO: Vet sponsor

content for tone,

style, substance

• DON’T: Dilute your

editorial brand

Do’s and Don’ts

• DON’T: Ask your

editors to create

native ad content

• DO: Outsource to

a freelancer or

consider hiring a

“brand editor”

Do’s and Don’ts

• DON’T: Track the

same old campaign

metrics

• DO: Measure what

matters

– Time spent

– Social sharing

– Clicks within post

– Brand lift

Do’s and Don’ts

• DON’T: Give native

ads away as “add-

ons”

• DO: Charge a

premium for the

privilege

Prime real estate!

Closing Thoughts

• Test & learn

• Be transparent

• Protect your brand

Questions?

Thank You

• Email: [email protected]

• Twitter: @roboregan

• LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/roboregan