Native advertising is paid ads that are so cohesive with the page content, assimilated into the design, and consistent with the platform behavior that the viewer simply feels that they belong. Thus, native advertising is paid content that appears within the flow of content and is topically relevant to it. Native advertising is by definition less disruptive and more engaging than standard ad units placed in leaderboard positions and appeals to consumers in a similar way to the content on a page or in an app. The term native advertising is often used interchangeably with content marketing, sponsored content, brand journalism, custom content, advertorials and other similar concepts. The best native ads are those that capture consumers’ attention—perhaps even more effectively than the content in which they are embedded—and entertain or inform readers enough to inspire them to actively share the ads with their social networks. The Holy Grail is producing brand content that “goes viral.” Consumers routinely ignore or actively block banner ads and other forms of display advertising. Conversely, native advertising done well works so fluidly with the page or app content that it is far less likely to trigger the near-automatic ad avoidance strategies that many consumers have adopted as part of their online and mobile behavior. To embed native advertising most effectively, the brand and the publisher would ideally work closely together to plan complementary editorial and paid content that will flow smoothly in targeted consumers’ news streams, social media or other content channels.