A fuzzy concept for digital marketing

Yinka Ogunlami 14:20 - 23 November 2015

Native advertorials MUST have a clear call to action, otherwise it is just sponsored or branded content and not an advertorial. Sponsored content is what a publisher creates and then a brand pays for.

Native advertising is a type of online advertising that matches the form and function of the platform on which it appears. For example, an article written by an advertiser to promote their product, but using the same form as other articles written by the editorial staff. i.e Native advertising is basically crafting an advertisement into a medium, to blend in and pass for editorial content itself.

David Ogilvy’s 'Guinness Guide to Oysters' is the quintessential advertorial (Print); taking a quick glance, it looks like editorial content.The word "Native" refers to the content's coherence with other media on the platform, put another way; the content becomes a native (A citizen with uniform indigenous traits) of the platform.

Online Advertorial: This is a great example of an online native advertorial as the article sits on the Gawker root domain and the design/editorial style matches Gawker’s.

Also, it is labelled “Sponsored” and just two paragraphs in, the intention of the sponsor is clear: WATCH OUR SHOW! (See below)

Online video advertorials

Videos are a crucial part of Online Advertising and we see brands from the various industries breaking into Video advertising for its effective results.

Microsoft takes a jab at its Internet Explorer in this hilarious parody — but also gets its message across. The call to action: give Internet Explorer 9 a shot.

In case you’re still amiss about native advertising, put another way, it is paid content that matches a publication’s editorial standards while meeting the audience’s expectations. Despite all the hype, native advertising remains a fuzzy concept for most marketers.

According to a 2014 status report:

49 percent of respondents don’t know what native advertising is
24 percent are hardly familiar with it
Another 24 percent are somewhat familiar
Only 3 percent are very knowledgeable

Native Advertising can go wrong when all the necessary factors of a successful Native Advertorial are not put into consideration. This is why only the foremost Digital Agencies should be contracted to execute this rather tricky but effective task.

To know more on Native advertising or tap into its benefits, visit the Google Certified experts at www.RDM.ng

Check out an example of a hilarious video advertorial below;

Written by Seyi Adeneye

This is a feature by RDM