One of the most vexing questions to people trying to make sense of native advertising which is also referred to as branded content, brand journalism and sponsored content, is that the terms are used interchangeably. Who wouldn't be confused?

Native ads that appear on publishers' websites as branded or sponsored content deliver higher engagement rates on mobile devices vs. desktop computers. What does this suggest for the prospects of mobile native programmatic?

While native advertising remains a relatively small percentage of overall digital media spending--it's estimated to reach $3.4 billion this year, according to eMarketer--many advertisers are showing a healthy appetite for native formats.

Native advertising will account for 63.2% of all global mobile display advertising by 2020, reaching $53.4 billion, IHS reseach projects.