Going Native

So I like to peruse AdWeek on occasion (so I can pretend to know what I am talking about) and as I was doing so I stumbled across an article on increase of marketing dollars going to Native Advertising.

Hmm, that’s an unfamiliar term. Time to investigate.

So I began reading the article and in the third paragraph I got to this gem of information:

“What's holding the format back? For one thing, many marketers said they don't fully understand how it works or what it is.”

Ah that sounds accurate, at least in my case. So, enlighten me article. What is Native Advertising? Hello, article? Hello? Oh, OK, you just want to give me a bunch of pretty charts about budget spends but never want to get back to addressing why we don’t know how it works or what it even is, even though you reference those points less than 75 words in. Got it. Personally, I think THAT would have been a far more interesting article but I guess that either:

a) the author thinks it will build character if I look it up myself or

b) the author thinks I should be on top of things and already know what kind of advertising this is.

(Hush. I know what the answer is, but bitterness is more fun than self-condemnation).

So I did what I always do when I don’t understand something—I ate chocolate. No wait, that’s when I don’t understand life in general. When I don’t understand something specific (like this) I consult the Internet. Less than 30 seconds later (my machine runs incredibly slow) I had a visual (in orange):

Ooooooh! That’s what it is. *Stereotypical old coot accent in three, two, one…* Yes sir. Back in my day, we’d call that there an advetorial. But wit’ them new fangled e-lectronic gizmos an’ what not I reckon they needed a more fancy-pants name.

Again, bitterness is more fun than admitting I should already know this, but I digress.

Not fully satisfied, I continued my search and came across a great article on CBS Altitude that not only explained native ads but also pointed out that radio has been using native ads since I was a bonnie wee lass (and referring to them as such). *Sigh* I should really know by now that I had better do all my research BEFORE opening my mouth so I can avoid the taste of canvas, road salt, and rubber.

According to the article, native advertising is simply paid advertising that is subtly integrated into regular content. For example, on a news page like The Atlantic page above you may see a series of tweets, videos, and an info graphic on a study or statistical finding that look like the “news” content you’d expect to find. Except, all of that content is discussing a certain company or product (in the example above, it’s IBM). But the content isn’t an overt IBM plug, as it looks and reads like 3rd person commentary. But at its heart—even if some of the content was 3rd person generated—it is a cleverly developed and placed, paid advertisement.

In radio, it’s even subtler; just listen for your favorite DJ or talking head to plug something. “You know, I was just so pissed this morning that I almost said screw it. I’m not getting coffee; I’m not doing my regular routine. But I stopped at Cumby’s anyways, like I normally do, to make my coffee and it actually turned my mood around. The ladies there were cracking the customers up, plus I made my coffee perfectly… it was just a bright spot in an otherwise awful morning.” Clearly I didn’t put a lot of thought into it, but there’s an example of a typical native ad.

The CBS Altitude article, along with another similarly helpful article from Flip the Media, really do a fantastic job of answering the basic questions of what native ads are, why they are effective, and examples (Flip the Media piece) of content that was so unobtrusive, un-ad-like, and genuinely funny/engaging that people ate it up, or would have if the cookie was real.

Overall, I’d say I like shareable content best. It’s the kind of content that makes social media feeds light up. It’s quirky and catchy, which draws users to it and creates a stronger consumer base without the users even realizing it. I mean, who is the most opened-minded cookie in the world? The one that’s best dunked in milk, of course. See? Pure Genius. Now, where are those Oreos anyway…

#nativead #nativeadvertising #inplainsight