The Rise of Native Advertising

• Author: Manic M.
• Pages: 53-58

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series V: Economic Sciences • Vol. 8 (57) No. 1 - 2015

The Rise of native advertising

Marius MANIC1

Abstract: Native advertising is described both as a new way for promoters to engage

audiences and as a new, clever, source of revenue for publishers and media agencies. The

debates around its morality and the need for a wide accepted framework are often viewed as

calls for creativity. Aside from the various forms, strategies and the need for clarification,

the fact that native advertising works and its revenue estimates increase annually transforms

the new type of ad into a clear objective for companies, marketers and publishers. Native

advertising stopped being a buzzword and started being a marketing reality.

Key-words: advertising, native, monetization, content, media.

1. Introduction

The first web banner was introduced in October 1994, in the digital version of the

Wire magazine. In the days of the third millennium, this kind of advertising became

slowly outdated, by being intrusive or simply out-of-content.

Apparently (Wasserman 2012), investor Fred Wilson first used the term

”native monetization” for the Web at OMMA Global in 2012; he was describing a

special kind of ads, “unique and native to the experience” of a website. CEO of

Sharethrough, Dan Greenberg, liked the idea and he is credited with the term ”native

advertising”.

What is native advertising? Even from the beginning, the definition of this

method of promotion is strongly debated. Promoters, companies and journalists

proposed various definitions, but failed to reach a mutual conclusion. Nevertheless,

according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (I.A.B. 2013), native advertising is a

type of ad designed to blend in the page content, consistent with the general aspect

of the page and with the respective media platform, from an editorial point of view.

The special interest this kind of advertising developed has two main sources:

- The novelty of the product: after all, it is a major innovation in the marketing

promotion history of the last 20 years; and

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, marius.manic@unitbv.ro