SPECTREs did not have salaries, and even though the Council made a great deal of resources available to them, they quite often played favorites. Commander Shepard was one of the most famous sentients in the galaxy, whose likeness was known to billions. Lacking support from the Citadel, he chose to go into endorsements.

Being rushed for time, he had a simple boilerplate message. However, in text, these stores proclaimed to be "The Official Weapons Supplier of Commander Shepard", "The Official Tech Supplier of Commander Shepard", etc....

It is quite similar to the sports leagues played on Systems Alliance planets, such as the Interstellar Football League and Major Systems Baseball. Each league has a sponsorship with a specific corporation. Cord-Hislop Aerospace is the official starship of the IFL. Apex Omnitools is the official tool of the MSB, and so on.