Samsung tops Apple in 2012 US phone ad spending
updated 10:46 am EDT, Wed March 13, 2013
Company quintuples budget across TV, Internet, physical media
Samsung spent $401 million in US TV, Internet, print, and billboard advertising for phones during 2012, surpassing HTC and even Apple, according to Kantar Media data obtained by the Wall Street Journal. The figure represents a quintupling of its budget for 2011, which amounted to just $78 million. By contrast, Apple's budget went from $253 million to $333 million, and HTC's budget actually shrank from $124 million to $46 million.
Samsung is the current world leader in the smartphone market, but still faces stiff competition from Apple in regions like the US. Much of its success can be attributed to a string of popular phones, such as the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S III, and Galaxy Note II. The company has attempted to hammer home its success with ad campaigns lilke "The Next Big Thing is Already Here," a series of spots which point out that the iPhone is missing or late to certain features.
The WSJ quotes phone carriers as saying that Samsung also spends the most money on "below the line" marketing. That includes items such as in-store advertising and promotions.
