Native Advertising
Updated · By the Everything-PR Editorial Team. Reviewed by a human editor before publication.
Native advertising is paid content designed to match the form and feel of the editorial content around it, such as sponsored articles, promoted posts and in-feed units. It must be clearly labeled as advertising so audiences can tell it apart from independent editorial coverage.
The format works because it fits naturally into the reading experience, but that same design creates the risk. The FTC has issued guidance on deceptively formatted advertisements: if an ad looks like editorial content, a clear and prominent disclosure such as "Sponsored" or "Paid" is expected, and vague labels can draw scrutiny. Publishers also set their own labeling standards.
The key distinction for communications teams is with earned media. Native advertising is paid media: the brand pays for placement and usually controls the message, so it does not carry the credibility of independent coverage and should not be reported as earned. The same labeling logic applies to AI surfaces, where a sponsored slot is clearly marked and a conversational ad is woven into the response. See also the FTC Endorsement Guides.