How Not To Do Native Advertising

Native Advertising vs. Content Marketing

Marketers site clear differences between native advertising, sponsored content, and content marketing. Technically speaking, they’re distinct from one another. Native ads mirror their environment (i.e., they match the style and feel of a publication) and sponsored content is a form of native advertising. I won’t debate all the nuances, but what’s important to note is that the primary difference between native ads and content marketing is that one is paid and the other is earned. But just because there’s money behind sponsored content, or in this case a native ad, shouldn't preclude a brand from following content marketing best practices.

Content marketing at its best is about generosity—it’s thinking about the target audience’s needs above all else. Brands leverage their knowledge and experience, creating content that adds value first and sells second. That isn’t to say that content marketing shouldn’t move your business forward. A sound strategy always begins with your business objectives, whether that’s brand awareness, lead generation, or customer loyalty and retention.

Valuable, Relevant, Consistent

Content marketing, as defined by the Content Marketing Institute, is “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

With over 75 years in the industry, you’d think Air Canada could supply us with incredibly valuable travel wisdom. Instead we’re left with little more than seven empty tips heralding their premium services. And if value, relevancy, and consistency are the litmus test for quality content marketing, Air Canada fails miserably.

Is It Valuable?

Skip the Lines. Keep It Easy. Save Time. Who doesn’t want to #TravelSmarter? The problem is, however, that Air Canada over-promises and under-delivers with these tips. Rather than outline true travel hacks for a better experience, they go for the hard sell. Do you want to Take Long Naps? Here, try our state-of-the-art-lie-flat seat. Really Make Your Miles Count with Air Canada’s frequent-flyer program. How are these tips relevant to the wider travel audience? (Hint: They’re not.)

Is It Relevant?

Air Canada promises, “7 essential tips” to make your “global adventures both easy and effortless.” Sounds relevant, especially for an advertisement in Travel + Leisure. But each tip centers not around the traveler, but around the airline. There are plenty of opportunities, from out-of-home and banner ads to social influencer marketing, to celebrate the greatness of a legacy airline. But duping magazine readers with a misleading title is not only irrelevant, it’s dishonest.

Is It Consistent?

Consistency isn’t especially pertinent in terms of native advertising, but here is where Air Canada really misses the opportunity. With such a rich tradition in aviation, Air Canada can and should create content regularly—and use that content to drive customer action, and importantly, revenue. (There are plenty of smart people on the Internet writing about the ROI of content marketing.)

Seth Godin said, “Content marketing is the only marketing left.” But we risk perverting this valuable marketing resource—and rendering content noisy and irrelevant—if we miss the whole point: customers, not brands, should remain at the center.