In a hotly contested ad category that is dividing the advertising industry on all sides, according to a recent report conducted by market research group Edelman, digital native advertising (DGaaP) scored a whopping 80% negative view among consumers across 48 countries. The impact on brands has been immediate and dramatic, with agencies and brands alike deciding to put paid digital native advertising to one side.

Marketers and publishers should not attempt to spin a narrative that complicates the simple truth that the time has come to shift to a post-native era. Content marketing has come of age as a true marketing strategy—one that demands to be treated with more critical and responsible regard than traditional advertising.

About the study:

The “Ad Effectiveness: The State of Smart Ads Report” explored the ad effectiveness of digital native ad units for both marketers and publishers. The research was conducted by Edelman in 48 countries around the world to reveal whether digital native ads deliver a measurable impact for brands and publishers alike.

Essentially, the research findings tell the tale of a different approach to brand marketing that is now beginning to connect with consumers the way products and services do. The migration of creative resources to native content is proof that, under the right circumstances, the art and science of advertising can work in harmony to produce meaningful results for brands and consumers alike.

Enabling this potential is the potential of a unified digital advertising ecosystem, where the touch points between publishers, agencies, marketers, and other parties work together in seamless harmony and complete with transparency to bring about measurable success for the brands, publishers, and agencies of tomorrow. The research highlights the importance of embracing and leveraging the new possibilities of integrated native content marketing, the importance of building an audience for which media spends are worthwhile, and the belief that only by doing this can brands begin to take their place in the new age of digital advertisement, which is all about reaching audiences across the platforms of digital convergence.