A Sneakier Way To Advertise

Alyssa Vaccariello
av689614@ohio.edu

It's nothing new that we are surrounded by advertisements from every direction. Whether it be coming at us from storefronts, magazines, commercials or our smartphones, we simply can't escape advertising. Most of the time, we can recognize advertisements and are aware we're being targeted by sponsored content. However, a sneakier approach is oftentimes used on the world's largest social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This is referred to as native advertising. Native advertising is a "form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it was placed." Native advertising is being created and broadcasted on popular sources such as Buzzfeed, Forbes, The Atlantic and The New Yorker. If done properly, this type of content can benefit both the advertiser and the reader. In some cases, however, it could also be potentially dangerous to journalism.

Source: http://www.bandt.com.au/media/news-com-au-reimagines-native-advertising-new-targeted-model

How can native advertising be beneficial?
In many cases, native advertising can be extremely entertaining or informational to the reader. An article promoted by Dove could headline, "11 Skin-Care Routines to Reduce Wrinkles" and contain beneficial information that the reader wants to know, while also being relevant to the brand sponsoring it. Even more-so, if the reader finds the article on Buzzfeed, or another outlet where they aren't looking for hard-hitting news, they'd be more inclined to be interested and drawn in by in the headline. Native ads are usually entertaining, but can also be genuinely good displays of journalism.  According to an article on Hubspot, The New York Times covered an article titled "Women Inmates: Separate But Not Equal," that was paid for by Netflix to promote Orange is the New Black. The article itself was promotional, but also contained informative, well-produced content.

How can native advertising be dangerous?
There are multiple potential risks associated with native advertising. The publishers are at risk. By having too much sponsored content within your publication, it could take away that publication's credibility. These ads can strike uncertainty into the readers, leaving them wondering whose content they are even reading, and if that content is of quality value. Readers want to read from sources they trust, and reading an article only to discover it was an advertisement can make many people feel taken advantage of and lied to. As a brand or a publisher, you don't want to make your consumer feel that way.

How can advertisers and publishers improve native ads?
Publishers can work to collaborate with advertisers' needs while maintaining their readers' trust. First of all, they can ask advertisers to clearly communicate their objectives, so they can work as a team to accomplish them in a way that makes both of them happy. Publishers can provide an ad experience that is seamless, matching the tone and format of the rest of the platform to engage readers. Publishers should insure that the content being presented is relevant to what the readers are interested in. Lastly, native advertising should be labeled to avoid tricking the audience.