IAB Releases Branded Content Creation, Distribution Guide

A committee at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has just released a guide on branded content creation and distribution. It builds on the IAB’s original Native Advertising Playbook created in 2013 to include information on both the creation and distribution of branded content.

Committee member Melissa Diaz, product marketing lead and associate director of digital ad products at Meredith Corp., stated the guide was designed to help brand marketers and their agencies understand available options, as well as "the key factors which should be considered upfront to make sure that all branded content/native advertising buy meets strategic objectives/KPIs.” 

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The lack of standard guidelines for the creation and distribution of branded content has “caused confusion and some reluctance on the part of marketers, media agencies and creative agencies, in building out branded content campaigns to engage with consumers,” the guide reads.

The guide includes detailed definitions of brand-owned content, publisher-hosted and/or branded sponsored content and branded content distribution. “Branded content” refers to “content that is sponsored by/promoted by a brand that is non-promotional in nature,” and is the same as “sponsored content," per the IAB.

Native advertising refers to “the paid distribution of branded content,” or the ad unit or posting someone sees before they click to the branded content page.

The guide outlines how “to ensure a successful branded content/native advertising buy, to help brand marketers and their agencies identify and evaluate the various branded content disclosure, creation, distribution and measurement options available today,” stated Chris Rooke, senior vice president, strategy and operations at Nativo.

It also notes how to activate native advertising campaigns and measure the success of a campaign, using industry metrics of awareness, engagement and consideration.

The IAB guide notes offerings must be labeled clearly as paid content.

The IAB Social Media/Native/Content Committee is made up of over 500 members.

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