Publishers and Advertisers Have Yet To Utilize the Full Potential of Native Ads

Is branded content what's going to save the publishing industry? And are advertisers and publishers on the right track with native advertising?

We asked Carolin Wies, Head of International Business at Plista who was one of the speakers at Native Advertising DAYS 2018.

Branded content is – if facilitated well – a way to diversify revenue streams while maintaining ad revenue.

Do you believe that branded content is, in fact, the answer for publishers to drive revenue?

Branded content has been in the market for quite a couple of years and is – if facilitated well – a way to diversify revenue streams while maintaining ad revenue.

Publishing houses are facing challenges to transform print into digital revenues. Branded content can support this transformation in order to grow revenues and strengthen brand partnerships through native endemic advertising.

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And last but not least: it is user-centric!

Branded content compliments the nature of native advertising while honouring the editorial sovereignty.

Where do you see the greatest advantages for brands and publishers respectively going into branded content and native advertising?

Branded content compliments the nature of native advertising while honouring the editorial sovereignty. It supports publishers in shaping a unique edge to their products: enhancing their content offering with strategic partnerships.

AI is on everybody’s lips these days because you can’t separate branded content as great content creation needs to jive with smart, data-based distribution. That’s why it’s even more important to maintain a publisher-brand relationship.

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Native advertising compliments this relationship while facilitating AI and increasing the probability of reaching the right user at the right time and the right place. People read what interests them and if the content fits the need, it can be an ad.

We should not forget that branded content is a tool to drive brand engagement and promote brand education.

Often, the lack of knowledge on how to prove effectiveness (ROI) is a barrier for both publishers and brands. What do you believe is the best way to prove the effectiveness of branded content?

The past years were shaped by hard KPIs such as low CPC’s and high CTR’s. We should not forget that branded content is a tool to drive brand engagement and promote brand education.

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Brands and publishers need to combine a pure commercial driven view with soft indicators, measuring engagement effectiveness, e.g. time spent on site or finished articles.

Native for advertisers will play an even bigger role as part of the wider media plan and content strategy.

At Plista, you work with both publishers and advertisers. Do you see any missed opportunities that publishers and advertisers should start taking advantage of in relation to native advertising?

We believe that publishers, as well as advertisers, haven’t yet reached the full potential of native advertising.

Publishers, in markets like Germany, the US or the UK, have severely adapted to evolving ad format. But there’s still a long way to go as the overall understanding for native differs.

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For publishers, it’s an opportunity to reduce ad clutter and focus on non-intrusive advertising formats while native for advertisers will play an even bigger role as part of the wider media plan and content strategy.

Native forces advertisers to change the ad creation process and learn from media houses imagery and content creation to successfully apply branded content strategies.

Plista is an official sponsor at this year’s Native Advertising DAYS and you’re an official speaker at the conference. Why should attendees absolutely not miss your presentation about why branded content is the new talk of the town?

One of the hottest topics in town, underlined by hard facts and presented by a true native champion

What do you look forward to the most at this year’s Native Advertising DAYS?

To meet the Who is Who of the global native advertising industry and to continue to grow and design the future of native!