Half (54%) of consumers have felt deceived by native ads, according to an infographic by Contently and the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism.
That figure is high enough for advertisers to rightfully fear that customers have a trust issue regarding native ads. But the good news is that there are steps publishers and advertisers can take to make ads more trustworthy, and thereby more effective.
For example, using universal language such as "sponsored" and including the logo with the brand name are two easy steps that customers have said would help publishers improve.
And improve is something publishers need to do as they discover how effective native advertising can be when it's done well: Nearly one-third (31%) of surveyed consumers said they were more likely to buy from a brand after viewing a native ad.
For more on the state of native advertising, check out the infographic: