Last week at the DoubleClick Leadership Summit, we announced the availability of Native Ads for Apps on our DoubleClick platforms. In this post, we’ll dive into the details of this new ad format and what it means for our clients.

The mobile revolution has changed the way we engage with content. We check our phones literally hundreds of times a day: to catch up with friends and family, read an article, or watch a video while waiting in line. In these moments, we believe ads have the best chance to be effective when they are placed with respect to a user’s context.

Imagine an ad that pops up in the middle of your game; it would be incredibly disruptive. But, one that appears between levels would feel more natural. Or, an ad that blocks your feed as you scroll through; that would be annoying. But, one that’s stitched within the feed would be almost expected. What’s necessary in today’s environment is native advertising—advertising that’s clearly marked and complements the user experience.

Introducing Native Ads on DoubleClick

Native ads fit in with the look and feel of publisher content, enabling better, more effective ad experiences for users. Context is incredibly important on mobile, and that’s why over the next few weeks we’re rolling out our native ad solution for apps to DoubleClick for Publishers clients globally.

Native ads for apps in DFP provides publishers with the full flexibility needed to create seamless ad experiences for their users. Instead of serving a static banner ad, DFP delivers ad components (headline, image, links, etc) to a publisher’s app where they’re rendered into a native ad defined by the developer’s code. By providing the building blocks of an ad, our native solution allows a publisher to create ads that are seamless with content, can take advantage of mobile features like swipe gestures and 3D animation, and can be adjusted to create beautiful ads for any device or screen size.

Setting up native ads for apps in DoubleClick for Publishers is easy. Publishers can choose from two of the most popular mobile formats, app install ads or content ads, or create fully custom native ads by including any additional fields for DFP to send to their app. In addition, publishers using our standard native ad formats can maximize revenue by accessing demand from our native ads beta in DoubleClick Ad Exchange.

Of course, it’s essential that publishers clearly mark native ads as advertising. Ads that trick users into clicking or are indistinguishable from content are bad for the whole ecosystem, including users, advertisers, and publishers.

Native experiences are essential on mobile

When users pick up their phones, it’s critical that they’re presented with a seamless ad experience. With native ads in DFP, publishers can maintain a beautiful user experience in their apps while providing brands an opportunity to reach their audience on mobile. Advertisers should reach out to their publisher partners to find out how they can use native ads to connect with their customers and reach them when they’re most receptive.

To learn more about native ads in DoubleClick, check out our help center or, reach out to your account manager today. Also, visit the mobile solutions section of our website to see how DoubleClick can help you engage your audience on every screen.

Posted by Josh Cohen
Senior Product Manager, DoubleClick