What is native advertising?
Native advertising is paid media designed to fit the platform where it appears. It takes on the style of the surrounding content, such as the font, layout and image shape of a news feed or article list, so it feels like part of the page rather than a separate box. Native ads are still clearly labeled as sponsored or promoted.
Common examples include sponsored posts in a feed, promoted articles in a content recommendation widget and branded listings inside apps.
How native advertising works
In programmatic advertising, a native ad is not a finished image. The advertiser supplies separate parts, and the publisher assembles them to match its own design. Typical components are:
A headline and short body text.
A main image or video, often in more than one aspect ratio.
The brand name and logo.
A call to action and a landing page URL.
The IAB Tech Lab's OpenRTB Native specification defines how these assets are requested and delivered, so a DSP can bid on native placements across many publishers and apps. Each publisher renders the same assets in its own style, which is why one native campaign can look slightly different on every site.
Types of native ads
In-feed units: ads placed between articles, posts or products in a feed.
Content recommendation: sponsored links in widgets that suggest more articles to read.
Sponsored content: articles or videos created with or for a brand and published on the site.
In-app native: units styled to match an app's interface, a common format in in-app advertising.
Why native advertising matters
Less disruptive: native units sit in the natural flow of content, so they interrupt less than banners.
Good for content: native is a strong way to promote articles, guides and videos to new audiences.
Works across screens: one set of assets adapts to desktop, mobile web and apps.
Pairs well with context: combined with contextual targeting, a native ad can match both the look and the topic of the page.
Disclosure is not optional. Regulators such as the US Federal Trade Commission expect native ads to be clearly identified as advertising, and reputable publishers label them by default.
Native advertising vs display advertising
A display banner is a fixed creative in a standard size, designed entirely by the advertiser, and it looks the same everywhere. A native ad is a set of parts that the publisher puts together to match its page. Display gives you full control over the design. Native gives up some control in exchange for a format that blends in. Native formats also adapt more easily to mobile screens, since the publisher fits the parts to its own layout. Many campaigns use both, with banners for reach and native for engagement and content.
Native advertising with AdGeeks
AdGeeks runs programmatic native campaigns through DV360 and Adform where the inventory supports it. Our traders help you prepare assets in the right sizes, test headlines and images, and compare native results with other ad formats in one report. Placements that drive engagement get more budget.
