Overview

Class Central Tips

Native advertising is a niche form of advertising that leverages the design and format of news and entertainment content. Native advertising is less about selling products and more about producing useful content for consumers who are in the ‘consideration’ phase of the advertising purchase funnel. Often in the form of news-like stories, native advertising has been shown to persuade consumers. Native advertising is affordable, and doesn’t require graphic design to get started. For these reasons, it’s a compelling advertising technique for small businesses. This course outlines a case study where a small travel startup used native advertising to drive hotel sales. Execution strategies for a successful, no-creative native campaign are laid out, including: gathering existing news coverage, ethical content seeding, and content generation.

Syllabus

Trade Desk Certification

This week's module focuses on understanding and mastering programmatic advertising through The Trade Desk's Programmatic Advertising Certification. The Trade Desk is a leading global technology platform for buyers of advertising, empowering them to unlock the full potential of programmatic advertising. With its market-leading position, The Trade Desk offers a comprehensive and sophisticated suite of tools to help advertisers effectively reach their target audience and optimize their ad campaigns.

Video Lectures: Native Advertising

In this series of lectures, students will explore the concept of native advertising, its various types, ethical concerns, and its impact on journalism. Through case studies, such as the defunct travel company Travel Pony, students will learn about the effectiveness of native advertising in overcoming credibility issues and increasing sales. The lectures will also discuss the role of the Federal Trade Commission in regulating native ads, targeting strategies based on location, purchase intent, and contextual relevance, and how to measure the success of native advertising campaigns using independent tools like Google Analytics.

Project: Native Advertising

This project offers three assignment options for students to apply their knowledge of native advertising, article pulling and targeting, and seeding strategies. Students will either analyze native ads from various news sites, assess the quality of articles for a local business and identify potential audiences, or create a seeding strategy for a small business. By completing this project, students will gain a deeper understanding of native advertising techniques, learn how to critically assess articles for potential native ad campaigns, and develop strategies for encouraging positive reviews from bloggers.

Video Lectures: Connected TV Advertising

In this series of lectures, we explore the transformation of the advertising industry due to cord-cutting and the rise of streaming services, focusing on the shift towards connected TV advertising. We delve into the decline of traditional TV advertising and the factors contributing to the disruption of the cable TV industry. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of data collection on ad targeting, privacy concerns, and the balance between efficiency and cost. The lectures also cover the pros and cons of connected TV advertising, programmatic buying, and the challenges of measuring attention and attribution.

Video Lectures: Targeting

In this series of lectures, we delve into the intricacies of digital advertising, focusing on targeting, retargeting, prospecting, and look-alike audiences. We discuss the importance of balancing retargeting with prospecting and explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of using look-alike audiences. Additionally, we examine the complexities of constructing an advertising campaign by considering various targeting parameters and their interactions. The lectures also emphasize the importance of being critical of ad tech tools and methodologies, as well as addressing potential ethical concerns and privacy issues.

Video Lectures: Cookies and Contextual

In this series of lectures, we will explore the evolution of the advertising industry, focusing on the shift from display to programmatic advertising and the rise of contextual advertising. We will delve into the ethical concerns surrounding third-party data collection, the death of cookies, and the challenges of brand safety. Additionally, we will examine the technologies and business models of various ad tech companies, as well as the future of ad tech regulation and the importance of transparency in the industry.