01/19/2017

AdOhio partners with BrandForge on digital native program

By Dennis Hetzel, Executive Director

One of the realities of your world and ours is that we have to try new things to grow revenue.

With that in mind, we believe we are the first state association in the country to develop a digital native advertising program that makes it really easy for clients to place native content on multiple sites that might be owned and operated by different media companies.

And, we’re also excited that we found a great partner: BrandForge, the digital content studio operated by Deseret Digital Media in Salt Lake City, Utah, one of our industry’s leaders in creating and executing successful native content.  We will work closely with BrandForge as we approach clients about native advertising.

Many potential native advertisers need to reach a larger audience, but it isn’t easy.  That’s an opportunity that plays into AdOhio’s unique capability as a one order/one invoice service for advertisers that need to reach different parts of Ohio and beyond.  Our industry never has been known for making things exceptionally easy. The complexity of native campaigns makes it particularly hard to deal with clients on more than a one-on-one basis.

After much discussion, including with several ad directors among our members, we’ve developed basic “rules of the road” that every participating website in an ONA native campaign can readily execute. For example, everyone can build a story page, promote content on a home page, share links on social media and optimize the content for mobile devices.  In return, we believe we can sell the program at excellent rates. That’s because a growing body of research shows that well-executed native campaigns work for advertisers.

The key is “well executed.”  The content must have the same quality as if it were prepared by journalists in a non-sponsored environment, though clearly labeled as “sponsored” or “promoted” content. That’s the type of content that BrandForge creates.  And, frankly, that’s what too much native advertising is not.

BrandForge experts also will work with AdOhio and our clients to brainstorm the best way to craft their messages. It might not be a story. It could be a video, a slide deck, a “top 10” list or some other type of presentation. We also will have a print component, of course, to sell to interested clients, but this is a digital-first program.

Will it work? Well, we think we’re onto something, but we’re just starting.  Walt Dozier, AdOhio’s sales director, says that early reactions from potential clients are the most positive responses to a new initiative that we have seen in years.  They want to learn more.

The other dynamic is your cooperation. If AdOhio contacts you about placing a native program at your local website, please work with us to get it done.  With help from our partners at BrandForge, the goal is to develop a meaningful revenue stream. In the meantime, if you have questions, I know Walt would welcome your feedback. Email him at wdozier@adohio.net.