sponsored content

Definition

Advertising disguised as editorial content, marked with tiny disclaimers that readers routinely ignore while consuming what they think is journalism. It's the art of selling things to people who came for articles, not ads.

Example Usage

Our sponsored content piece blended so seamlessly with the publication's editorial that only the 'Sponsored by' tag and completely different writing quality gave it away.

Origin

Modern form emerged in the 2010s with digital publishing, though the practice dates to 19th-century advertorials

Fun Fact

Sponsored content gets 52% more engagement than display ads, proving that people prefer their advertising to at least pretend to be useful.

Source: Native advertising and content marketing

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