IAB Study Highlights Brand Awareness And Context For Native Ad Success

As publishers make more in-feed (also known as in-stream or native ads) inventory available, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Edelman Berland conducted a study to look into what tends to make these ad campaigns successful.

Many of the findings aren’t particularly surprising, but the study reinforces the importance of context that advertisers need to consider when deciding what content to promote and where via native advertising.

First, to clarify the types of ads that were analyzed in the study, the IAB says all sponsored content was presented as in-feed units, and did not include other types of native advertising like paid search, recommendation widgets, promoted listings, in-ad with native element units, and custom. Above are mockups used in the study.

Overwhelmingly (90 percent) respondents said relevancy is the top factor in generating interest in in-feed advertising. However, the study found that advertisers are going to be more successful in their native ad efforts if readers are familiarity with and trust the brand. Over 8o percent of respondents said brand mattered, which poses a challenge for advertisers aiming to use native ad units to drive awareness.

That influence rubs both ways, though. When respondents had a positive opinion about the credibility of a news site, the perceived credibility of the ads on that site increased by 33 percent.

Visitors to online news sites said they are more open to advertising on those sites that focus on a story rather than pitching a product.

“This new study shows that in-feed sponsored content can be a win for brands and publishers both, when consumers’ viewpoints are taken into account,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “News publishers get greater impact when they work with familiar and trusted brands. By the same token, marketers see greater lift when publishers are perceived by consumers as credible news outlets.

The entire report, “Getting Sponsored Content Right: The Consumer View”, is available for download here.