Content ads are the next big thing

Content ads will soon be as big a segment as video, display and social advertising. At least that’s what Zemanta’s Todd Sawicki told attendees of the Digiday Publishing Summit. The reason for this upsurge? Content ads are set to be the primary ad format for mobile.

But what is a content ad? Put simply, it’s any ad that uses content as the creative. It includes things like promoted recommendations, sponsored content, and native ads (all examples of content formatted to be consistent with the publisher site). Unlike other types of ads, content ads do not require standard formats, but do require standard components. These components are used to seamlessly incorporate the ads into a variety of different publisher environments.

For these ads to see the growth Sawicki predicts, they need to be both scalable and engaging. Fortunately, supply-side platforms are beginning to support content ads.

Full video of Sawicki’s talk is available below.

Tech Talk with Zemanta: How Content Ads Will Come to Dominant Publishers Advertising Efforts from Digiday on Vimeo.

More from Digiday

Ad Tech Briefing: Publishers are turning to AI-powered mathmen, but can it trump political machinations?

New ad verification and measurement techniques will have to turnover the ‘i just don’t want to get fired’ mindset.

YouTube’s upmarket TV push still runs on mid-funnel DNA

YouTube is balancing wanting to be premium TV, the short-form powerhouse and a creator economy engine all at once.

Digiday ranks the best and worst Super Bowl 2026 ads

Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to reflect on the best and worst commercials from Super Bowl 2026.