We've found that there's no single form of sponsored content. It's better to define sponsored content by what it does than by what it looks like. Two of our main criteria: 1) It is generally understood to be content that takes the same form and qualities of a publisher’s original content and 2) it usually serves useful or entertaining information as a way of favorably influencing the perception of the sponsor brand. -- Millie Tran, American Press Institute

I wish that there were universal understandings of what all those different terms ... what is and isn't sponsored/native...but those are terms that still haven't been accepted universally. I'm reminded of the Homer Simpson quote, "Boy, those Germans have a word for everything." Marketers tend to have terms that MEAN everything. -- Rex Hammock, Hammock Inc.

We tend to just refer to it all as content marketing. There are really two common macro-trends we see.  1.) Gratuitous promotion - i.e., traditionally known as advertorial. 2) Everything else.  Brands tell us their research shows that if you can educate and inform consumers with quality information that they will return the favor with brand loyalty over time. -- Bill Momary, Ebyline

When we had our summit on sponsored content back in the fall, we were getting really hung up on this question of naming and eventually decided that it wasn't worth debating over it and instead find some similar qualities. -- Millie Tran

I think at the end of the day, if your focus is on telling powerful stories, what the content is technically called doesn't matter. As long as it is identified as advertiser funded in some way. -- Kaylee King-Balentine

Our office looks remarkably like any creative, editorial, design team you'd see in a traditional media. Same work-flow. Same equipment. Same titles. It's merely a different business model. Our content is developed for companies, associations, etc., who have a business model other than the media-business business model. -- Rex Hammock

Our goal is to bring Big 'J' journalism to the masses because we believe there is only one way to produce content - the right way.  I agree that an experienced point person on the buy-side of the content marketing experience is as important as a CMO is to a marketing team. -- Bill Momary

You can't product effective content unless you understand the marketing objectives of the client. There is the need for someone to be able to serve as bridge with editorial needs of the reader viewer / and expectation / project manager needs of the client. -- Rex Hammock

Building an in-house content marketing team isn't easy. You need to really have a leader with newsroom management experience to be successful. The common pitfalls we see are: inability to foster ideation, challenges with management of assignment and pitch flow and the ability to hire and pay quality journalists to produce these assets. -- Bill Momary  You need to really have a leader with newsroom management experience to be successful.. But rather, we have seen first hand how journalists are able to easily navigate the dynamic demands of the content marketing arena.