But now, instead of the celebrity making an appearance in an advertisement, with sponcon the product makes a subtle (or, sometimes, not-so-subtle) appearance in the endorser’s day-to-day narrative. The use of celebrities to endorse products is nothing new. Amy Zimmerman, The Daily Beast, 12 Sept.
![spazcon one. spazcon one.](https://payload.cargocollective.com/1/15/500665/9719409/blogroll45_1500.jpg)
![spazcon one. spazcon one.](https://payload.cargocollective.com/1/15/500665/11290295/portrait-2_630.jpg)
In fact, much early contextual use of the term treated it as a hashtag, sometimes with the initial letters of the original words capitalized:Īfter a short #SponCon segment of the contestants showing off their Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, Chris Harrison introduces the bathing suit competition to really kick off the show. Sometimes sponcon is indicated as such, even with the hashtag #sponcon. Same with the photo showing the same singer vacationing on a tropical island with language encouraging her followers to do the same. When your favorite singer posts a photo on Instagram showing her sipping from a bottle of a certain brand of juice with the label turned just so? That’s (probably) sponcon. It is a form of what is termed native advertising, referring to advertising made to resemble the medium in which it appears. Sponcon is entwined with influencer marketing, to use the term for one whose habits on social media are likely to be copied by that person’s followers. Sponcon combines the rhyming initial syllables of "sponsored content." The emergence of the internet helped to shift the meaning of content from “the topics or matter treated in a written work” (as in a table of contents) to “the principal substance (such as written matter, illustrations, or music) offered by a website.” Because brands can piggyback off of waves of unpaid influencer promoters, some have ceased paying influencers completely, or now pay rates far below what they previously spent.
![spazcon one. spazcon one.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_JMFcwZAW2Q/maxresdefault.jpg)
Though it may seem like a useful tactic when you're starting out, more established influencers worry that fake sponcon is creating a race to the bottom. Since the scandal, Olivia Jade has lost lucrative spon-con deals from brands like Sephora and Estée Lauder, and has faced a ton of angry comments from Instagram teens, so it’s probably safe to say that she’s less than pleased about this particular turn of events. She earns a rumored $1 million for every #ad (recent posts include spon con for Sugarbearhair vitamins and Teami detox teas). Jenner’s Instagram is also a big moneymaker. You’re probably familiar with sponcon, even if you haven't heard the word before: It’s what in the entertainment world is called product placement, refitted for the social-media era.