It's been said a million times, native advertising is the most immersive of the advertising experiences. What is native advertising, and why is it causing such a stir among brands, agencies, and publishers?
Developed over a decade ago, native ads have the unique ability to evolve with media. In recent years, they have surpassed display ads as the most popular form of digital advertising.
Advertisers and brands can take advantage of editorial expertise with native advertising. Compared to traditional display advertising or banner ads, it provides a more trusted and valuable channel to reach readers.
In this article, we’ll cover why they’ve continued to grow in popularity and effectiveness and how you can incorporate them into your marketing strategy next quarter.
What is native advertising?
Paid ads that fit seamlessly into the media where they appear are known as native advertising. By blending in with the content, they don't disrupt the viewer's experience. By posting content that is not obvious as an advertisement, advertisers can hook viewers' attention.
How do you spot native advertising?
The text 'sponsored' or 'recommended' will appear somewhere above or below the post or profile on many social media sites. Content recommendations are often found below articles on blogs and websites.
When you click on a small icon, often an "s," you will see that the content is a paid advertisement. Google's search results often include native ads in the form of listings at the top or in the sidebar. The nature of native advertising is that it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. As a result, signs are often more subtle than traditional advertisements.
Native Advertising vs. Content Marketing
With native advertising, the viewer's experience with the given content and media is not disrupted. A third-party with an established audience engages new audiences through native ads. Rather than being the content itself, it is a method of distributing it. It might sound similar to content marketing, but the goal is different.
The term "content marketing" refers to the creation of content for your website or social media pages. It can be used to build a following, grow a reader base, establish yourself as an industry expert, demonstrate credibility, increase engagement, improve sales, or all of the above.
8 Native Advertising Examples
1. Altran Engineering in the Financial Times
An Altran engineering company video, "Hyperloop: designing the future of transport?" published in the Financial Times' Industrial Tech section, tells the story of a team of students who are competing in Musk's SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition 2018 at the Technical University in Valencia, Spain.
There is a palpable human element in this native video ad - the students and Altran staff supporting them in their tough competition. The best and brightest are working together to design the fastest transport pod that will transform the future of transportation. In addition, it is presented as a news story, not as a promotion or advertisement for Altran or SpaceX.
What Stood Out
A high-quality native video ad, this video has a high production value. In addition to providing a compelling narrative, it also engages viewers and provides them with a story they want to follow.
2. Land Rover — A Mini Suspense/Action Movie
To promote its vehicles, Land Rover uses a variety of outstanding content marketing campaigns. Those native content strategies can be seen in full force in Land Rover's Dragon Challenge video. The video is eye-catching, slick, and suspenseful. This is everything a native campaign should be.
The world's first attempt to scale the Heaven's Gate landmark by car is shown in this nail-biting advertisement. At a frightening 45-degree angle, a specially fitted Range Rover SUV successfully drove up the 999 steps to Heaven's Gate.
What Stood Out
As a result of this native campaign, Land Rover's brand essence is perfectly captured - daring, excellence, adventure, and ultimately success. It's more than just an advertisement, since it's promoted through Land Rover's social networks. This is a record-breaking event and a unique story.
3. Eni Energy on CNN
This is an example of graphic, lush storytelling from oil and energy conglomerate Eni, filled with lush green landscapes. In the Niger Delta, the Green River Project is an Eni development program for farming and livestock to improve the livelihoods of local communities. CNN.com promotes the Green River Project campaign with native ads. Native content like this is truly impressive.
Designed as a story, the site is divided into three sections: Past, Present, and Future. Content includes text, imagery, audio, video, personal stories, animations, and illustrations. It has the look and feel of an environmental agency rather than an oil company.
What Stood Out
Through this native campaign, Eni distances itself from criticisms directed at energy conglomerates. Moreover, they establish a brand image as a beacon of corporate responsibility and a force for good in the 21st century.
4. Mercedes in The Washington Post
Mercedes' native campaign is an example of smooth, clean content that engages users. The campaign is called "The rise of the superhuman", and it focuses on various technologies that are making us "superhumans," such as robotic exoskeleton suits, virtual reality in medical settings, and the Mercedes Benz E-class series that incorporates the new Intelligent Drive system.
Users can access more information by clicking on hot spots and quiz questions in the native content above. One of the best things about this campaign is how it effortlessly creates a connection between Mercedes and the "superhuman." It is reminiscent of Cadillac's "Penalty of Leadership" advertisement, which accentuated Cadillac's reputation as a leader in the industry. This simple print ad, published in 1915, is credited with reviving the Cadillac brand and boosting the company's flagging sales.
What Stood Out
Despite its simplicity, this native advertisement creates a powerful connection between the car and the concept of cutting-edge excellence. As a result, Mercedes becomes more than just a car manufacturer.
5. Viral Meme on VentureBeat
Nothing beats a viral meme when it comes to stickiness, and it's a great way to promote brand awareness. During the famous "Laurel or Yanny?" dispute, VentureBeat used the meme in native content to promote the upcoming Transform conference on artificial intelligence and analytics. How? The dilemma of Laurel versus Yanny can be solved once and for all by using artificial intelligence (AI).
According to VentureBeat, AI was used to determine whether the stated name was Laurel or Yanny. A native article discusses some of the problems that arose, and how engineers adjusted the algorithms to get accurate results.
What Stood Out
Viral memes are a smart move because they tap into an audience that already exists. This captures the attention of viewers and exposes you to a broader audience.
6. Colored Corn on Business Insider
Creating a story is one of the best native tactics. In addition, if the story is visually appealing and colorful, that is a big plus. Here's an example of native content promoted on Business Insider.
This example looks and feels just like a regular Business Insider article. It's about Glass Gem Corn, a multicolored corn variety that became a sensation in 2012. It is the story of one man's search for his Native American roots that led him to develop colored corn. This story of the rainbow corn is retold in bold, eye-catching graphics typical of Business Insider.
The article includes links to Native/SEARCH, a not-for-profit conservation organization that owns the seeds. What is in effect a product sales page is presented as a colorful news story.
Business Insider published the following disclaimer in this article: "This article was originally published in 2013 and has been updated for its longevity." This proves that natively promoted evergreen content can indeed be a long-term success.
What Stood Out
Native ads can be formatted in a fun, interesting, and promotional way. Moreover, it is attached to a viral story, making it even more powerful.
7. KPMG on Forbes
Forbes' BrandVoice platform enables native advertising and sponsored content. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, SAP, Deloitte, and even the Japanese government have their own BrandVoice channels.
With a campaign called "The Great Rewrite," KPMG has taken its native content on Forbes to a whole new level.
Big and bold (just like native advertising should be), The Great Rewrite explores different industries and how they are being "rewritten" in an era of post-innovation. Despite the campaign's grand look and feel, it is easy to navigate.
What Stood Out
By continually adding new "chapters" about various sectors, this native ad connects KPMG with the future of innovation. Video, featured articles, and content recommendations are included in every chapter. Native campaigns like this are rewriting the rules of native in an ongoing, ever-growing, content-rich user experience, just like their titles.
8. Orbit Gum on CollegeHumor
Videos make great native ads because of their entertainment value. CollegeHumor's popular YouTube comedy channel released "Dating Footnotes" ahead of Valentine's Day. This is a short, funny video that capitalizes on the current holiday.
This native ad fits perfectly with Orbit's history of fun, memorable commercials. Additionally, this native ad blended well with the humor of the channel where it was posted and promoted Orbit Gum's products without feeling like a typical commercial.
What Stood Out
Advertising relies heavily on humor and creativity. The real-world application of a product, like gum on a first date, makes for an effective native advertisement.
Native Ads Have Great Potential
We see many spectacular native ads online these days. While some are eye-catching, others are original, and others offer fresh ideas for capturing mindshare and promoting compelling content.
Native advertising is constantly advancing, pushing the boundaries of content and design to create new, unexpected online brand experiences.