At the upcoming Native Advertising Days 2024, Tobias Lindner, Head of Creative Concept at Schibsted Brand Studio, and Content Manager Julia Nyback will shed light on the often underappreciated potential of native advertising.
Through meticulous mapping and analysis of multiple native campaigns, Lindner and his team have demonstrated that native advertising is not only effective across various stages of the marketing funnel but can also surpass traditional expectations.
Challenging Traditional Views
Traditional advertising has long been segmented into distinct phases: awareness, interest, preference, and action.
Each stage has been dominated by specific types of content, with native advertising typically pigeonholed into the mid-funnel category.
However, Schibsted's analysis challenges this segmentation. By examining campaigns in collaboration with clients and drawing inspiration from Schibsted Partner Studio in Norway, Lindner’s team discovered that native advertising could be effective at every stage of the funnel.
“We found that native advertising, when executed properly, could drive awareness, generate interest, foster preference, and even prompt action," Lindner explains.
“This challenges the traditional view that native content is only suitable for the mid-funnel."
Proving the Effectiveness
One of the key findings from their research is that native advertising, when done right, can drive awareness, generate interest, foster preference, and even prompt action.
For example, a highly creative video series for a gambling client showcased how native content could captivate audiences, while another campaign for Telenor highlighted how well-crafted content could lead to conversions for premium products without direct promotion.
"Creativity and strategic presentation are crucial," Nyback emphasises.
"Campaigns that integrated high levels of creativity and journalism performed exceptionally well, even at the action stage, traditionally reserved for more direct forms of advertising."
Real-World Applications
Lindner will present concrete examples at the conference, illustrating how different strategies worked across the funnel stages.
By showcasing campaigns for various clients, including the Swedish Armed Forces and Telenor, he will highlight how native advertising can be tailored to meet specific marketing goals.
These case studies will demonstrate the potential for native content to perform beyond the mid-funnel, addressing awareness and action stages effectively.
"Our campaign for Telenor was particularly enlightening," Nyback notes.
"We focused on creating engaging, journalistic content about online security. Despite not directly promoting their most expensive package, we saw significant conversions to that product, proving that native content can drive high-value actions."
Empowering Practitioners
Lindner's insights aim to inspire confidence among native advertising practitioners. He encourages agencies to challenge traditional briefs and engage in deeper dialogues with clients.
By entering the campaign planning process earlier, native advertisers can contribute to more stages of the funnel, thus driving higher revenues and proving their value beyond the conventional mid-funnel role.
"I hope our findings will make practitioners proud of what they create every day and inspire them to challenge the briefs they receive," Lindner says.
"By being involved earlier in the process, we can help clients achieve their goals more effectively."
Do you want to learn more from Tobias Lindner and 40 more industry leading speakers on native advertising? Native Advertising Days 2024 takes place June 12 -13 2024, DGI-Byen, Copenhagen Denmark