Dive Brief: 

• The New York Times' CEO, Mark Thompson, told attendees at a conference in NYC that the publication plans to spark digital ad growth with the introduction of branded content solutions. 
• These native advertising ideas, Thompson said, would leave no confusion for readers as to what was editorial or sponsored content. 
• The publication is also looking for more scalable programmatic options and finding new talent to beef up its ad department. 

Dive Insight:

The New York Times isn't alone in the publishing world in needing to expand ad options. With declining subscriptions and falling ad revenues, publications need to find new ways to drive revenue. The fact that The Times chose native advertising underscores the medium's validity, even for such a prestigious publication.