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NATIVE
ADVERTISING
NATIVE
ADVERTISING
9 EXAMPLES OF
What they are, and why they work

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Why are the world’s top publishers turning to native
advertising?
Because native advertising allows advertisers to use
publisher brand equity and audience to influence
advertiser brand perception. Native ads can increase
engagement with a brand in a way that isn’t disruptive to
content consumption. Moreover, native ads allow premium
publishers to differentiate from increasingly commoditized
ad buys made with standard units across programmatic
buying platforms.
A survey of 4,770 consumers by IPG Media Lab and
Sharethrough, which included eye tracking of 200
consumers, revealed that native ads are more visually
engaging than standard banner ads. Consumers looked
at native ads 52% more frequently. The same study
showed native ads provided a 9% higher brand lift and
18% higher purchase intent than their standard banner
counterparts. These early success numbers support the
growing sentiment that native will be an important part of
the evolution of digital advertising.
Early success
numbers
support the
growing
sentiment that
native will be
an important
part of the
evolution
of digital
advertising.
INTRODUCTION
For online publishers, native is one of the biggest trends in
advertising this year.
According to a recent study by the Online Publishers Association,
73% of OPA members currently offer native advertising
opportunities, with that number projected to climb to 90% by the
end of 2013.

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So, what exactly are native ads?
There is some disagreement in the industry, but here are the criteria we used in this guide:
• The design and placement of native ads is unified with the site’s content.
• Native ads don’t deviate from the visitor flow, they work within it.
• Native ads offer a high-quality brand experience that is organic to the site they are on.
• Native ads are clearly identifiable as sponsored.
• Many, but not all, native ads are also content ads that integrate articles, videos, social
opportunities, or even a site’s own content right into the ad.
In this resource, we have taken a look at how nine popular publisher sites are using native
advertising to deliver value to both their clients and their users.

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What it is
Sponsored stories on Business Insider are displayed natively in the main story feed of the site,
and look like every other story teaser with the exception of their light-gray background and
“Sponsor Content” caption.
Clicking on the native ad takes you to the full article, hosted on Business Insider and flanked by
the sponsor’s display ads. The byline explains who has sponsored it.
Advertisers can also sponsor entire article sections, such as “The Future of Business.” Section
sponsorship features the advertiser’s content at the top of the page. Every 3-7 articles, a
“Sponsor Content” article promo appears. Companion banner ads for the sponsor accompany
the content as well.
business insider
Sponsored Articles with Companion
Ad Placements
{
Native
Teaser

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{{
{
{
{Sponsorship
Identiﬁcation
Native
Content
Companion
Ads
Business Insider also identifies sponsored content with a caption popup as “written by or on
behalf of marketers looking to reach the Business Insider audience.” An additional note that
“Business Insider’s editorial staff is not involved in the development of sponsor content” makes
clear that the advertiser is responsible for the content of the article, not Business
Insider’s writers.
Why it works
Business Insider’s native advertising product is successful because it leverages the same
consumption pattern BI readers use for editorial content: sifting through the feed for interesting
teasers, and clicking through to read a full-length article.
Although the aesthetic treatment for the promo is different enough to clearly identify the content
as sponsored, the type of headline, category of content, and the action it demands from the user
is visually consistent with the rest of the site.
BI’s sponsored articles aren’t necessarily advertorials or stories designed to pitch the sponsor’s
product or service. Many sponsor posts simply provide material that might appeal to the type
of reader that has similar affinities. For example, a sponsored article on the popular Dove Real
Beauty Sketches video ad doesn’t mention the advertiser, Innovid, at all. However, the article’s
topical focus on what makes viral ad videos compelling complements Innovid’s value proposition
around interactive video advertising.

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What it is
The bread and butter of
BuzzFeed’s native ads are
sponsored posts revealed in
line with the other content, but
labeled as “Featured Partner”.
The background color is
slightly warmer for sponsored
posts, which also feature a
small square logo next to
“Presented By”.
Other native experiences are available throughout the site, including sidebar content promotion,
or even the addition of an entire sponsored signature feed.
why it works
With headlines like “Will Smith’s ‘After Earth’ Apocalypse: Who Loses Most” and “How
Twitter Schooled an NYU Professor About Fat-shaming,” BuzzFeed’s featured content may
be sponsored, but it’s exactly the same kind of content the site’s audience enjoys: edgy,
provocative, and current.
BuzzFeed’s site doesn’t have any traditional banner, and for good reason. The content is aimed
for an audience with a short attention span. Visitors to BuzzFeed don’t have time for ads. They
want entertainment. Sponsored content gives them just that.
buzzfeed
Sponsored Content,
In-Stream and Elsewhere
{
Native
Teaser

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Other BuzzFeed examples
Joining the ranks feeds with names like LOL, WIN, OMG and WTF, companies can sponsor their
own feedback category. In the example (shown above), Starbucks has allowed users to express
their feedback via a cam shot of their facial expression.
BuzzFeed also launched its own native advertising
network in March, allowing them to further monetize
their native ads across sites with similar content.
{ {
Sponsored
Channel
Background
Skin
Custom
Integration
{
{
{
Partner Content
Teaser
In place of a standard 300x250 is an ad promoting
branded content, not the brand itself.

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{Native Display Ad
(Expanded View)
{
{
Native
Display Ad
Expand to
reveal content
newsweek
Tightly-Integrated,
Expandable Display Ads

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What it is
As part of the dramatic redesign of their site which debuted in May 2013, Newsweek bucked the
entire model of standard ad formats [Disclaimer: Newsweek’s native ads are powered by Flite].
Their new site offers only premium, native advertising, with no standard ads whatsoever.
Newsweek’s new model provides sponsorship exclusivity across the site to only one or two
advertisers, with the ads integrated throughout. Expandable banners accompany some of the
large images on featured stories. While scrolling down, a full width expandable unit also appears
every second or third major story.
Like the new site, all of the ads are highly visual, with expansive images and video content.
The site sponsorship is
reinforced with a brief
interstitial partnership
message (shown to the
right), which pops up
for about two seconds
on the initial load of the
site. The message is
self-closing. It darkens
but does not conceal the
content underneath it.
Why it works
The tasteful integration of ads into the giant graphics for their featured stories, and the self-
closing interstitials demonstrate respect for Newsweek’s audience. The ads are reasonable,
visually balanced, and with branding appropriately sized. Everything is refreshingly well put
together with the ads tightly integrated into the site experience.
The Newsweek aesthetic overhaul gives the visitor the whole package, advertising included.
Through helpful content and appealing design, Newsweek ads don’t force attention, they earn it.
{
Sponsorship message
with transparent overlay
Native Ad {

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What it is
The number of ads on the new USAToday.com site is surprisingly low, about one per page.
Sections of the paper are sponsored, with a large pushdown unit that auto-expands on the first
page view. The units are visually striking and contain video and other content, often sharing the
same background as the page itself. An obvious close button in the upper right allows for easy
collapsing of the unit.
USAToday.com
One Polished Ad Per Page
{
{
Close/Collapse
Button
Native
Display Ad

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Why it works
These ads feel native in part because there are so few of them. By including only a single ad unit
with each of the articles, visitors get accustomed to not seeing ads, and—thanks to a visually
striking redesign—are free to explore the entire page without the usual banner blinders on.
The section sponsorships are not typical either. Their clean design and focus on content and
video echo the content contained within the digital paper itself.
{
In-article
Companion Ad

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What it is
The Awl offers an advertising
experience that blends both
sponsored content and traditional
advertising.
Sponsored posts and stories pop
up in line with the news content
every two to four posts. They are
visually differentiated with a light-
gray background.
Why it works
One area of consumer criticism
about native ads is that it can
be hard to distinguish between
sponsored and non-sponsored
content. The Awl’s solution to this
is simple and effective.
Visitors are accustomed to
skimming headlines. By putting
the words “Sponsored Post” with the same green highlighting that the post titles usually have,
The Awl draws attention to the word “sponsored” before revealing the sponsor’s headline.
Users opting to engage with an ad are presented with editorial content that is generally just as
compelling as the rest of the site’s offerings, and totally native to the experience.
The Awl
In-Stream Articles and Ads
{
{
Sponsorship
Identiﬁcation
Native
Content

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Even the in-stream banner ads are placed exactly where the viewer is looking—giving a higher
chance to be noticed—thereby providing extra exposure to the site’s advertisers.
{Traditional
Ad, In-stream

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What it is
Tumblr’s native advertising product, integrated into their internal promotional program Radar,
allows advertisers to embed posts that have the same format and functionality of all Tumblr
posts into users’ feeds. Each Radar post sponsored by an advertiser is identified by a dollar-sign
icon in the upper-right corner that, when clicked, displays the advertiser’s account name.
tumblr
Promoted Visual Blogging
{
Sponsored
Post Icon
{Native
Content

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Why it works
Radar posts, including sponsored ones, are fully native. Users can perform the same sort of
intuitive interactions that make Tumblr such a compelling, popular blogging platform. Following
the sponsor is as easy as following any other user, and users can like and reblog any Radar post.
Because user interaction occurs within Tumblr’s signature feed, and executed in the same type
of visual storytelling popularized on the platform, this form of advertising provides a particularly
intimate and authentic feeling of engagement with a brand. Posts should deliver meaningful
value on their own; otherwise, they are swiped right past.

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What it is
People.com, the online version of the popular entertainment magazine, has a mobile site that
features a visually-rich story feed. Content is divided into sections, each with 3-5 stories in the
default view, with short teasers.
people.com (mobile)
Sponsored Stories in
Mobile Article Feed
{
Content
Teaser
{
Sponsorship
Identiﬁcation
The mobile site’s native
ad execution inserts
sponsored stories
into the feed, with
Sponsored by [Advertiser]
superimposed above
each item’s title. Tapping
on the teaser expands
the story, video in the
example below, along
with sharing buttons.

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Why it works
In contrast to banners and
takeovers, which are even
more disruptive to the
browsing experience in
mobile environments than they are in the standard desktop one, a native approach is downright
welcome on phones and tablets. The native ad blends in to accompanying editorial items
seamlessly, but still identifies itself clearly as being advertiser supported.
The type of content also matches the ad’s context. If a user is browsing video content on
her phone, it intuitively follows that she’ll be more receptive to engaging with a video ad.
Furthermore, tapping on the item just expands the content and allows consumption within the
site, vastly preferable to clicking off the site entirely and irritating the user.
The sharing options grease the wheels for viral distribution.
{Sponsored Content
(Expanded View)

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What it is
Forbes.com’s digital native advertising product, BrandVoice, is remarkably similar to Business
Insider’s sponsor posts [Disclaimer: Forbes is a Flite client, although not for BrandVoice].
Advertisers get their own channel, incorporating their own moniker and the term “Voice” in a
camel-case format, like OracleVoice and XeroxVoice. Native ad teasers for sponsored posts can
appear in the parent channel’s stream or section.
FORBES.com
Native Teasers for
Sponsored Editorial Channel
{
Native
Teaser
“Voice”
Sponsorship
Indicator

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The article title’s lead identifies the article as being part of the BrandVoice program, which
becomes clearer when clicking through to the article:
A byline strip above the article title establishes that the piece was written by or for the
advertiser. The explanatory link discloses the relationship between the article’s authorship and
the sponsor. Companion banner and rectangle ads display the advertiser’s messaging and
branding around the content.
Why it works
Forbes.com is a mammoth content site with dozens of new articles published every hour.
Articles written by Forbes staff have long sit alongside those authored by contributors—many
of them corporate—so the BrandVoice native advertising product does not represent a major
departure from what readers expect from the site. The brand and red-lettered “Voice” title
leader hints that the article promoted in the teaser is different, something which is adequately
explained when the user clicks and begins reading the article.
The onus on the advertiser is to deliver a high-quality article that users derive value from. If
they do, the halo effect would presumably help awareness and perception of the brand. It also
encourages readers to follow the BrandVoice author, ensuring that each high-quality article
holds the promise of planting a seed for a longer-term dialogue between brand and reader.
{{
{
{
{Sponsorship
Identiﬁcation
Native
Content
Companion
Ads

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What it is
ReadWrite has two types of native ads: a wide banner in the article gallery, and an in-article
format.
The gallery banner (shown above) is a custom-sized rich media unit that presents between
articles. The format features multiple videos, social sharing buttons, and evocative imagery.
For the in-article format (shown below), about midway while scrolling through an article the
viewer is greeted by a large advertisement that snaps into place as it comes into full view. As
scrolling continues, the article content below slides in to cover the ad, which leaves the tagline
at the top of the ad on the screen last instead of scrolling away first. The in-article ads have a
lighter background color and are labeled “Advertisement - Your article continues below”.
readwrite
Visually-Arresting Content Ads
{
{
Video Content
Native
Display Ad

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Why it works
While the native display ads are distinctive from the general content on ReadWrite, they feel
more like featured stories than interruptive advertising.
Big, beautiful images, video, and social media are used liberally, offering a quality ad experience
that complements the carefully composed content on ReadWrite. Branding is light and tasteful,
and the ads focus on product stories, videos and feature information.
By sliding the content over the in-article ad, instead of simply having users scroll past it,
advertisers keep their message in view for a few extra moments.
Standard 300x250 or 728x90 ad units would look out of place on ReadWrite, but these visually-
arresting native display ads fit right in.
{ {
Native Display Ad
with Scrollable Reveal
Advertisement
Identiﬁer

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{{
Sponsor
Identiﬁcation
Native
Teaser
Mashable
Immersive Editorial and
Social Content
What it is
Mashable offers two types of native advertising opportunities: sponsored custom editorial
content, and an in-stream social ad product called Social Lift [Disclaimer: Mashable is a Flite
customer, although not for the custom editorial content or Social Lift].
For the editorial content, brands select a concept they want to be associated with — for instance
“Tech Innovation” or “The Future of Travel.” Mashable’s staff then creates custom content that is
thematic to the topic and compelling to Mashable’s readers. The sponsored content teasers run
on the site among the regular teasers, but are displayed as “Presented by” or “Sponsored by”
the brand.
“Mashable’s approach to native
advertising is to align our clients
with topics and premium content
that is thematically important to
them that we know our readers will
love. The result is native advertising
that generates 20-25x higher CTR
than banner ads and receives
50% higher engagement than the
average Mashable article.”
— Adam Ostrow, Chief Strategy Officer

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{
{
{
{ Companion
Ads
Native
Editorial
Further Sponsored
Content Discovery
Social Feed
{
Clicking the teaser for the editorial takes the viewer to a full-length article that is flanked by
companion ads, other sponsored content, as well as social content, such as a Twitter feed, from
the brand.
Brands can also push specific social assets like tweets, Instagram images and Vine videos
right onto Mashable from a self-service interface using Social Lift, Mashable’s newest native
ad product. These social units appear in-stream alongside standard Mashable content and are
clearly social media, but are otherwise visually similar to non-sponsored content.
Why it works
By offering a number of advertising opportunities — editorial
articles, social content and traditional advertisements —
Mashable gives brands numerous consumer touch points that
are seamlessly integrated into the site.
These methods reinforce each other on article pages that
are packed with subtle but frequent branding. The clean,
browsable format provides a consumption experience
Mashable readers are accustomed to.
Brands can use Social Lift units on Mashable.com to drive
subscribes, likes and follows — actions that build lasting value
for the brands. Mashable reports that Lift Units also receive a
higher clickthrough rate than other ad units on the site, and
twice the engagement of organic content.
Example of a Social Lift post

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In-stream sponsored posts
The most common form of native ads is a type of sponsored editorial content that
mirrors the style and topics of the site content. For those native ads that aren’t editorial,
the content still shares a stream with the site content, instead of being relegated to the
sidebars.
Big canvases, beautiful graphics
For premium native display ads, canvases are getting bigger, not smaller, giving the ad
room to spread and provide a visually-arresting experience. Native advertising content
enjoys prominence equal to standard editorial content.
Companion advertising supporting
native content
Some sites offer both native and non-native advertising opportunities, coupling traditional
advertising with native content. The pairing reinforces the sponsorship with strong
branding: the natively-presented content provides value and entertainment, while the
advertisements reinforce brand awareness and messaging.
CONCLUSION
In our review of the state of native ads right now,
four main trends stand out.

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Easy identification of sponsored posts
The sites in this resource use a variety of tactics to distinguish native ads from non-
sponsored content:
• Clearly labeling sponsored posts
• Identifying the advertiser as the post author or in a boilerplate
• Using subtle changes in background color between sponsored and regular
content
• Creating sponsored content channels or entire site sections devoted to a
sponsor’s content.
Native advertising as both a concept and practice is relatively new, and, as such, rapidly evolving
during this period of creative destruction. The nine examples profiled represent a sampling of
approaches embraced by the vanguards in this space.
We anticipate that the types of native executions will continue to proliferate until best practices
are developed and adopted by premium publishers. In fact, the IAB has put together a native
advertising task force to develop an understanding of native advertising landscape and track
developments in the space. The promise of native advertising to deliver a more powerful
experience for both advertisers and visitors will ensure its continued investment and refinement
in the years ahead.

Flite is the ad platform
of choice for the
world’s most
innovative brands
and publishers.
Learn more about the platform at
www.flite.com/platform

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CONTACT
General:
info@flite.com
(415) 992-5870
Sales:
sales@flite.com
(415) 992-5872
Visit our website:
www.flite.com
Visit our blog:
blog.flite.com
Written by:
Jason Menayan
Director of Marketing
jason.menayan@flite.com
Rob Lennon
Social & Digital Media Manager
rob.lennon@flite.com
@thatroblennon
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