Native Advertising is a Dirty Word
Is being obvious the move?
Native ads, with their grey-area ethics and constant annoyance, needs to die.
There’s a clear alternative to masking paid content to look like regular features… be obvious, but awesome.
Recently, Snapchat featured a Maybelline ad that’s fun to use. The ad is for three new lipstick shades, and by raising your eyebrows you can flip between the three colors to “try them on” in a selfie.
It’s an obvious ad. In each picture a large Maybelline headline is stamped in the top left corner. But by being so obvious, the user never feels fooled.
While Native Advertising can backfire when a customer realizes that the content is sponsored, conversely awesome advertising builds positive brand awareness.
I’ve been a fan of Maybelline since they released their Baby Lips chapstick, but until today, I was unaware of their LoadedBolds lipstick line.
After I finish this article, I’m going to grab the coral shade.
Though this sample set is one, I look forward to more instances of obvious but awesome advertising. Remember to ask yourself, “How can your company provide value to the customer?”
And please stop trying to fool them.
