The shift towards “native” advertisements

Over the past few months, more and more media experts are predicting that "interruptive" ads, including pre-rolls, mid-rolls and pop-ups, are soon to be history. The argument is defended by the fact that these forms of advertisement don’t mesh well with today’s seamless web experience. Consumers have low tolerance for "interruptive" marketing and therefore, the response rates of these types of ads are on a gradual decline. Facebook’s Sponsored Stories is part of Facebook’s efforts to provide more “native” advertising options. Twitter is also jumping on the bandwagon with Promote Tweets which have a click-through rate of 1-3%. That’s drastically higher than the average click-through rate, .2%, for “interruptive" ads.

This article is right on in terms of predicting the shift towards “native” advertising. Consumer behavior has changed dramatically over the past few years. The increase in DVR usage, the loads of content that are posted on the web every second and consumer’s short attention span, are clear indications that a change in advertising options is inevitable.  In the coming years, I believe that there will be a drastic shift towards brand content. To capture the attention of an audience, advertisers will have to raise awareness and convert consumers by content and tools that are seamless and provide utility and entertainment.

Article: http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/future-belongs-native-ads-agency-ready/236481/