There is a pervasive perception that native content is simply a new word for advertorial – perhaps a higher quality version of advertorial but advertorial nonetheless. Then there’s the ambiguous “sponsored content.” Let’s clear up the differences.
Sponsored Content
First: sponsored content. This term is a catchall for any content paid for by a brand that appears in a media property that the brand does not own. Simple! It applies to both native content and advertorial.
When executed well, the tone and look seamlessly fit into the media property. Detractors believe that this is deceptive, but it actually serves both the reader and the sponsor. Not only does it help sponsors leverage the trust readers have in the publication, but it is also far less disruptive to the reader’s experience than ads, pop-ups, etc.
Advertorial
Now for the oft derided advertorial content, named for being the advertisement/editorial hybrid that it is. The phrase is associated with those horrible, text heavy pages in magazines hocking weight loss drugs and pharmaceuticals. That’s hardly high-quality or engaging content.
The truth about advertorial content, however, might just surprise you. There’s actually nothing inherently low-quality about advertorial – it’s simply paid content that explicitly promotes the company that is paying for it. Horrific execution has given it a bad rap. But well-written, beautifully designed advertorial is actually a great tool for many brands, especially ones that need to educate the market – for example beauty brands that are using a hot new ingredient many consumers aren’t yet aware of.
I was recently speaking to a sponsored content pro at a major publishing company who said that he regularly pushes brands that think they want native content towards advertorial instead. These folks want to reach a magazine or website’s audience by using engaging, sponsored content that actively touts their products or services. They’re actually asking for advertorial! But they don’t know it because they’ve fallen into the trap of thinking native content is synonymous with good advertorial.
Don’t fall into the same trap. Advertorial can be awesome and absolutely has its own place in the marketing mix.
Native Content
Native Content is the new kid on the block in content marketing and almost universally considered to be the wave of the future. But, thanks to its cool factor, the phrase also gets thrown around frequently and inaccurately, leading to mass confusion.
Native content is sponsored content that does NOT explicitly promote the brand that it is purchased by. Sounds weird, right? But it actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that today’s consumers see the brands they use as part of their identities. A great product isn’t enough. Brands need to fit into a target consumer’s self-image or the image they aspire to.
The content has two goals: (1) to be valued by target customers and (2) to reflect the values of the brand. It is brand-aligned but not promotional. The desired outcome is to take the reader’s enjoyment or utility and strengthen its association with the sponsoring brand. While the brand’s name isn’t mentioned in the content, it is marked as sponsored by the brand and branded imagery may surround the content.
The line between advertorial and native content is indeed a fine one to many. But, for marketers, they are quite distinct from one another and appropriate under different circumstances.
Wondering what’s right for your brand? Let’s chat: drop us a line at info@storiocreative.com.
