Breaking: How Native Advertising Makes Headlines

My CS Forum 2013 talk about how native advertising, content marketing, journalism and content strategy can help each other.

Transcript

1. BREAKING: How Native Advertising Makes Headlines @hawkt | #csforum13
2. NATIVE ADVERTISING. @hawkt | #csforum13
3. AKA SPONSOR BRANDED ADVERTORIAL STEALTH MARKETING CONTENT. @hawkt | #csforum13
5. everybody’s talking about it. @hawkt | #csforum13
7. everybody defines it differently. @hawkt | #csforum13
8. nobody knows why. @hawkt | #csforum13
10. but we *do* know one thing: @hawkt | #csforum13
11. native advertising is is breaking news. @hawkt | #csforum13
12. (also possibly advertising.) @hawkt | #csforum13
13. it’s cool, though: @hawkt | #csforum13
14. sometimes breaking things can be a good thing. @hawkt | #csforum13
15. so let’s crystallize our definition of native advertising... @hawkt | #csforum13
16. then we can break it and see what we can make with the pieces. @hawkt | #csforum13
18. BUT FIRST... Who Am I? @hawkt | #csforum13
19. hawk thompson @hawkt | #csforum13
20. @hawkt al giordano, journalist / mentor @hawkt | #csforum13
21. editorial associate @hawkt | #csforum13
22. valley advocate @hawkt | #csforum13
23. sr. content strategist @hawkt | #csforum13
24. razorfish.com @hawkt | #csforum13
25. content director @hawkt | #csforum13
26. hawkthompson.com @hawkt | #csforum13
27. content generalist @hawkt | #csforum13
28. hawkt.com @hawkt | #csforum13
29. content whisperer @hawkt | #csforum13
30. @hawkt @hawkt | #csforum13
31. OK... Where Were We? @hawkt | #csforum13
32. ONE: What Is Native Advertising?
33. the short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
34. let’s start with a definition. @hawkt | #csforum13
35. native advertising (n.): content marketing designed to belong in the environment of its audience. @hawkt | #csforum13
36. belong. @hawkt | #csforum13
37. the nitty gritty: @hawkt | #csforum13
38. it’s not all black and white. @hawkt | #csforum13
39. native advertising is like the wild wild west... @hawkt | #csforum13
41. a largely unexplored frontier... @hawkt | #csforum13
43. full of intrepid explorers... @hawkt | #csforum13
45. scheming prospectors... @hawkt | #csforum13
47. ...and potential trainwrecks. @hawkt | #csforum13
50. but it also has the potential to be pretty f*cking awesome. @hawkt | #csforum13
51. *
52. it’s all depends on how you approach it. @hawkt | #csforum13
53. before we can understand native advertising... @hawkt | #csforum13
54. we need to understand content marketing. @hawkt | #csforum13
55. content marketing (n.): a way of connecting brands with audiences on their own terms via shared interests. @hawkt | #csforum13
56. types of content marketing: brand content sponsored content advertorials brand journalism native advertising @hawkt | #csforum13
57. native advertising (n.): content marketing designed to be loathed in the environment of its audience. @hawkt | #csforum13
58. native advertising (n.): content marketing designed to belong in the environment of its audience. @hawkt | #csforum13
59. ?!? @hawkt | #csforum13
60. sooo basically... @hawkt | #csforum13
61. @hawkt | #csforum13
62. + @hawkt | #csforum13
64. + @hawkt | #csforum13
66. = @hawkt | #csforum13
68. BOOM. @hawkt | #csforum13
69. NATIVE ADVERTISING. @hawkt | #csforum13
70. easy breezy. @hawkt | #csforum13
72. not so much. @hawkt | #csforum13
73. but there are *tremendous* opportunities in this space... @hawkt | #csforum13
75. ...for the intrepid explorers among us. @hawkt | #csforum13
77. TWO: How Should We Approach It?
78. short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
79. @hawkt | #csforum13
80. not like this. @hawkt | #csforum13
81. content marketing isn’t hunting. @hawkt | #csforum13
82. native advertising doesn’t “capture” audiences. @hawkt | #csforum13
83. we hunt for shared interests. @hawkt | #csforum13
84. then we captivate audiences. @hawkt | #csforum13
85. the nitty gritty: @hawkt | #csforum13
86. this is how we do it. @hawkt | #csforum13
87. brand beliefs interests values products audience meta data it all starts with metadata. @hawkt | #csforum13
88. metadata is what your brand and your audience have in common. @hawkt | #csforum13
92. ???
93. drivers jockeys automobiles horse races efficient dynamics @hawkt | #csforum13
94. the joy of driving. @hawkt | #csforum13
95. shared metadata --> @hawkt | #csforum13
96. shared interests --> @hawkt | #csforum13
97. unifying themes @hawkt | #csforum13
98. unifying themes should drive your content. @hawkt | #csforum13
99. metadata should guide content creation, curation and cultivation. @hawkt | #csforum13
100. create curate cultivate content marketing editorial-quality text, images and video relevant, contextualized third-party content user-generated content: comments, reviews, posts, images, video, etc. source: gartner, february 2013. the three “Cs” of content marketing @hawkt | #csforum13
101. text articles, interviews, blog posts, whitepapers, case studies create imagery video multimedia feeds photography, infographics, sketchnotes interviews, demos, behind-the-scenes, webisodes “snowfall”-style immersive rich media experiences curated content via partners and social media platforms @hawkt | #csforum13
102. original material created or commissioned by a brand curate social feeds cultivated UGC licensed content sponsored content twitter, facebook, instagram, vine, tumblr, blogs, etc. content your audience shares (submissions, uploads, tags) news feeds of specific content (licensed or full use) third-party content underwritten for paid placement @hawkt | #csforum13 source: gartner, february 2013.
103. to cultivate those interests... @hawkt | #csforum13
104. 1) listen to your audience. @hawkt | #csforum13
105. it lets them know you care, @hawkt | #csforum13
106. and your personal attention is their exclusive reward. @hawkt | #csforum13
107. 2) reach them where they live. @hawkt | #csforum13
108. show them you understand... @hawkt | #csforum13
109. what they do with their time... @hawkt | #csforum13
110. and where they spend it. @hawkt | #csforum13
111. 3) make interesting content. @hawkt | #csforum13
112. it creates lasting connections. @hawkt | #csforum13
113. THREE: What Keeps Us Connected?
114. short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
115. topics that excite and engage us. @hawkt | #csforum13
116. ME @hawkt | #csforum13
117. @hawkt | #csforum13
119. MUSIC @hawkt | #csforum13
122. HUMOR @hawkt | #csforum13
125. SPORTS @hawkt | #csforum13
128. FASHION @hawkt | #csforum13
131. SCREENS @hawkt | #csforum13
134. NEWS @hawkt | #csforum13
137. FOUR: Why Journalism?
138. short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
139. “i should’ve known better. you’re...in advertising.”
140. we’re dying over here. @hawkt | #csforum13
141. “we” meaning advertising. @hawkt | #csforum13
142. also journalism. @hawkt | #csforum13
143. there are lots of ways we can help each other. @hawkt | #csforum13
144. and plenty of reasons we why we should. @hawkt | #csforum13
145. the nitty gritty: @hawkt | #csforum13
146. three main reasons come to mind. @hawkt | #csforum13
147. 1) banner ads are hurting. @hawkt | #csforum13
148. the banner ad has been unchanged for 18 years.* source: https://medium.com/digital-advertising/ad94724dfff7 @hawkt | #csforum13
149. there are still innovators in the banner ad space... @hawkt | #csforum13
150. but in terms of engagement, the numbers don’t lie. @hawkt | #csforum13
151. source: media mind @hawkt | #csforum13
152. 2) native ads are starting to thrive. @hawkt | #csforum13
153. potential for profit here is big. @hawkt | #csforum13
154. $40k-1mm per unit* big. *This is the price range for a piece of Huffington Post Partner Studio original content. Other rates may vary, obvs. (source: http://digiday.com/publishers/huffington-post-branded-conten/) @hawkt | #csforum13
156. in 2012, 10% of forbes’ revenue came from native advertising. (source: http://www.adweek.com/news/press/forbes-sponsored-content-bet-pays-148341) @hawkt | #csforum13
157. 3) everyone wants credibility. @hawkt | #csforum13
158. @hawkt al giordano, journo / rebel / mentor @hawkt | #csforum13
159. back in the day, journalists were paragons of credibility. @hawkt | #csforum13
160. we can learn from them. @hawkt | #csforum13
161. and vice versa. @hawkt | #csforum13
162. if we’re sure we want to go there. @hawkt | #csforum13
163. FIVE: Should We Even Go There?
164. short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
165. yes. @hawkt | #csforum13
166. we have the opportunity to do truly groundbreaking work. @hawkt | #csforum13
167. the nitty gritty: @hawkt | #csforum13
168. there are a few things we’ll need to do to get there. @hawkt | #csforum13
169. 1) think like a publisher. @hawkt | #csforum13
170. craft a clear editorial direction... @hawkt | #csforum13
171. with ethical guidelines... @hawkt | #csforum13
172. room for diverse views... @hawkt | #csforum13
173. a focus on broad issues... @hawkt | #csforum13
174. and an emphasis on the topics, not the brand. @hawkt | #csforum13
175. 2) understand the environment. @hawkt | #csforum13
176. “no journalist would have to write this piece of ad content about a brand and then write a news story about the same company.” -jonathan perelman, buzzfeed vp of agency + strategy @hawkt | #csforum13
177. great, but.... @hawkt | #csforum13
178. 67% believe news is often inaccurate* source: pew research center for the people + the press, august 2013. http://www.people-press.org/2013/08/08/amid-criticism-support-for-medias-watchdog-role-stands-out/ @hawkt | #csforum13
179. 75% believe news is often influenced* source: pew research center for the people + the press, august 2013. http://www.people-press.org/2013/08/08/amid-criticism-support-for-medias-watchdog-role-stands-out/ @hawkt | #csforum13
180. 76% believe news is often biased* source: pew research center for the people + the press, august 2013. http://www.people-press.org/2013/08/08/amid-criticism-support-for-medias-watchdog-role-stands-out/ @hawkt | #csforum13
181. truth be told, there is some bias... @hawkt | #csforum13
182. animal + mother @hawkt | #csforum13
183. vice + wpp @hawkt | #csforum13
184. huffington post + digitas @hawkt | #csforum13
185. buzzfeed + vayner @hawkt | #csforum13
186. and this is just the beginning. @hawkt | #csforum13
187. it all comes down to the story. @hawkt | #csforum13
188. 3) serve the story, not the brand. @hawkt | #csforum13
190. lose trust, lose credibility. @hawkt | #csforum13
191. no credibility, no audience. @hawkt | #csforum13
192. no audience, no breakthroughs. @hawkt | #csforum13
193. SIX: Who’s Breaking Through?
194. short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
195. the intrepid explorers among us. @hawkt | #csforum13
196. EDITORIAL @hawkt | #csforum13
199. OK THEN Where Were We?
202. IMAGERY @hawkt | #csforum13
207. VIDEO @hawkt | #csforum13
208. OK THEN Where Were We?
212. MULTIMEDIA @hawkt | #csforum13
216. SEVEN: Where Does Content Strategy Fit In?
217. short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
218. we are the foundation. @hawkt | #csforum13
219. the nitty gritty: @hawkt | #csforum13
220. “content strategy is planning. content marketing is one tactic that might stem from your careful planning.” -@gigigriffis source: http://www.content-for-good.com/2013/08/13/the-difference-between-content-marketing-and-content-strategy/ @hawkt | #csforum13
221. if you want native advertising to work, you have to plan for it. @hawkt | #csforum13
222. 1) establish clear goals (and KPIs). @hawkt | #csforum13
224. 2) get exec-level buyoff. @hawkt | #csforum13
225. 3) build a publishing model. @hawkt | #csforum13
226. organize team: publisher editor-in- chief culture editor features editor public editor managing editor creative editor content strategy content acquisition @hawkt | #csforum13
227. build processes: @hawkt | #csforum13
228. source: http://www.slideshare.net/danieljacobson/npr-examples-of-cope cope: @hawkt | #csforum13
229. 4) promote, promote, promote. @hawkt | #csforum13
230. 5) measure and modify. @hawkt | #csforum13
231. source: http://stdout.be/2013/08/26/cargo-cult-analytics/ If you want to make big data work, you have to be really specific about what you’re try “metrics are for doing.” -@stdbrouw @hawkt | #csforum13
232. TL;DR Is Native Advertising Broken?
233. short answer: @hawkt | #csforum13
234. no. @hawkt | #csforum13
235. we’re just breaking it in. @hawkt | #csforum13
236. to get where we need to be, keep these things in mind: @hawkt | #csforum13
237. 1) be intrepid. @hawkt | #csforum13
238. 2) respect your audience. @hawkt | #csforum13
239. 3) share their passion. @hawkt | #csforum13
240. 4) keep church and state separate. @hawkt | #csforum13
241. 5) take calculated risks. @hawkt | #csforum13
242. 6) learn from mistakes. @hawkt | #csforum13
243. 7) plan on breaking things. @hawkt | #csforum13
244. do this and you might make headlines. @hawkt | #csforum13
245. but above all else, do it because it’s your passion. @hawkt | #csforum13
247. hawk thompson @hawkt | #csforum13 razorfish.com hawkthompson.com hawkt.com @hawkt
248. THANKS! @hawkt | #csforum13