sponcon

English

Etymology

Blend of sponsored +‎ content, coined in 2015.

Noun

sponcon (uncountable)

1. (informal, marketing, neologism) Advertisements, particularly in social media, misleadingly styled or presented similarly to non-advertising content such as editorials or magazine articles.

   Synonyms: native advertising, sponsored content

   • 2018 December 5, “Here's a comprehensive list of all the #sponcon Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra had for their wedding”, in The Daily Edge‎^[2]:

     Shilling #sponcon for all it’s worth? It’s an interesting thing to consider, for sure.

   • 2019 March 22, Chavie Lieber, “Toy unboxing videos have taken over YouTube. Some experts say they exploit kids.”, in Vox‎^[3]:

     “Toy companies look to YouTube and its army of influencers to spread the word about their products, sometimes paying them top dollar for sponcon and, at the minimum, sending them toys for free.”

   • 2020 June 16, Sarah Manavis, “The queen of quarantine: How Grace Beverley built an at-home fitness empire”, in New Statesman‎^[4]:

     And despite a million followers on Instagram, her page is surprisingly bereft of stereotypical captions or sponcon (sponsored content).

   • 2022 June 2, Anna Peele, “Inside ‘Love Island,’ From the Tragic Suicide Deaths to New Mental Health Protocols”, in Vanity Fair‎^[5]:

     Seven years in, the show is an international, BAFTA-winning phenomenon that has produced marriages, children, and enough Instagram sponcon to provide intergenerational wealth.

See also

• product placement

Anagrams

• noncops