Native Advertising: Evolving Marketing or Public Relations Promotional Tool

The term “Native Advertising” in the marketing sense has been characterised as an “advertising evolution”, and it is usually considered to belong to the group of new marketing tools. However, due to the subtle way in which it presents “editorial” content in the media, PR practitioners are increasingly describing native advertising as one of the most desirable PR tools. Guided by this situation, in this paper, the authors compare theoretical knowledge on advertising with Native Advertising as a new and innovative form of advertising, and connect it with application in the field of public relations. The obtained results of the comparison are contrasted with the opinions of six experts who have been working in the media, marketing agencies and PR agencies. By means of in-depth interviews, they present diverse takes on Native Advertising as a new advertising form, that is, a new PR tool. By comparing their opinions, the authors prove that Native Advertising is primarily a marketing tool that, due to its secondary (promotional) function, serves as support to PR activities, and not vice versa.