How Amazon Became Largest Advertiser in History

An overview of Amazon’s advertising spend between 2009 and 2021.
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Amazon’s advertising and promotional costs equalled $16.9bn in 2021, according to the latest company reports, meaning the company has likely become the largest advertiser in history.

The company’s ad investment grew by 55% in 2021 from the previous year, which is a $6bn increase and the quickest rise in 10 years. This is quicker than the overall level of growth in advertising last year, which rose by 23.8%, and more than twice as quick as the growth seen in the broader retail category (+20.6%).

Procter & Gamble, a key challenger for the title of largest advertiser, lags behind. Although figures are not directly comparable, P&G’s advertising costs rose by a slower 12% to $8.2bn in the 12 months to the end of June 2021.

This comes as Amazon expands into new areas and sees strong revenue growth across its business segments – the company’s total revenue rose by 21.7% in 2021, to $470bn. With this growth likely to continue in 2022, further rises in Amazon’s advertising spend look increasingly likely.