Branded Content, Native Ads, or Content Marketing? [Video]

Two of the most frequent questions I’m asked about a new content publication project are: “How much of our brand should be in our content?” and “What should the distribution model be?”

Three years ago, I wrote an article, Clarifying the Noise: The Content Marketing Spectrum. I attempted to stratify (and demystify a bit) the different approaches of content marketing, native advertising, and branded content. At the time, I said this was a “work in progress” and I would add to it as we thought of new ways to provide clarity.

Well, here we are in 2019 and a couple of hundred workshops, consulting assignments, and advisories later, we have a better handle on it. Now is the time to clarify the differences. But, perhaps the more relevant question today is:

Does it matter what we call it?

Maybe it doesn’t. As we’ve said, labeling an approach to content marketing isn’t as necessary as ensuring that the activities are a meaningful part of the brand’s integrated marketing mix. However, …