Going native: Understanding the effectiveness of branded content

Blog Chris Bromham – Senior Client Consultant

Native advertising, or branded content, has been around for some time but recent years have seen strong growth and that is set to continue. According to The Content Marketing Institute 86% of B2C brands now employ content marketing.  And we can see why. In studies we have done we have proven its effectiveness for brands. The benefits that native advertising brings to the table make it distinct from more traditional channels. However, no branded content is the same. How can publishers and advertisers truly understand the effectiveness of the content they produce?

Why go native?

Firstly, let’s look at the benefits. We know that in order for there to be branded content, advertisers need to work with media owners, a publisher. The publisher distributes the content to the relevant audience for the advertiser and drives traffic to the content in a highly relevant way. The advertiser hitches a ride in the publisher’s vehicle.

Next to that, native advertising allows advertisers to tell their story in varied, cross-format ways, not always viable in other channels. These might encompass long form articles, infographics, digital videos and even micro sites and any combination of those. Advertisers can also choose to sequence the content, serving the audience with different formats over time.

Publishers themselves often have in-house teams who will create the content to deliver on client objectives in engaging ways. For instance, when an advertiser wants to reach healthcare professionals, the publisher will create relatable content that is served in a relevant context for that target.

And last but not least, authenticity. Branded content is presented in the same look and feel as other content on the website, sitting alongside other pieces of journalism. Being on the publisher’s channel in this native way, gives the brand authenticity. It’s published by the media owner, but still let’s the audience know who the original sender is.

Understanding effectiveness

Still, not all content is created equal. There is also the challenge to deliver value to the reader with a clear brand connection at the same time. So, as an advertiser you need to know how effective the content truly is. At DVJ, we use a combination of techniques to uncover that value.

To measure the effects of the branded content, our Campaign Evaluation approach makes a distinction between an unexposed vs. an exposed group. Using our innovative ‘free associations’ technique, we have proven that this type of content is effective in meeting objectives, for example, shifting perceptions from generic category views to unique, positive and brand relatable views. We have also proven effectives of branded content in influencing attitudes through the funnel, from awareness to consideration and preference. In addition, our innovative ‘storytelling’ technique uncovers deep emotional messages that can drive future content development. And because of the way we test, we can compare effectiveness of branded content to creative in other media channels, as well as to our branded content benchmark.

One of our recent case studies is an example of this. The client wanted to gain insight into the impact of branded content on the reputation and image of the brand. Results showed that the group exposed to the campaign was more familiar with the brand and more likely to consider the brand. Furthermore, the number of positive associations was higher for the exposed group, and the respondents also agreed that the brand communicates clearly about its contribution to society. The study allowed the client togain insight into the effects of branded content for the first time. They used the results to properly evaluate this part of the media mix and to learn whether it is wise to invest less or more.

Get in touch to learn more on how you can benefit from ‘going native’.