BizFeed: Comcast Spent $3 Billion on Advertising in 2014
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1. Comcast Fourth-Highest in Advertising Spending
The News: Comcast spent $3 billion on advertising in 2014. That’s the fourth-highest total of any company in the United States, according to a new study from Advertising Age. Still, the company’s ad spend was down 1.7 percent year-over-year.
Why It Matters: Comcast had such a large advertising budget largely due to its ownership of Universal Pictures and its desire to garner interest in its X1 digital cable platform. Business Insider explains: “For Comcast, 2014 was a year marred with criticism of its customer service. Nevertheless, the company still spent big on ads in 2014, including its Star Trek-themed Super Bowl spot.”
Overall, companies may be spending a lot on advertising, but they’re spending smarter and are more focused on digital marketing campaigns than expensive, traditional ones. Ad Age explains: “While total U.S. ad spending for the top 200 advertisers reached a record $137.8 billion in 2014, the growth rate was the lowest since the ad-market recovery took hold in 2010, according to the report.”
Here are the top 5 advertising spenders:
- Proctor & Gamble Co. — 4.6 billion
- AT&T — $3.3 billion
- General Motors Co. — $3.1 billion
- Comcast Corp. — $3 billion
- Verizon Communications — $2.5 billion
2. Napping At Work Increases Productivity
The News: Everybody gets a little sleepy at work, but rather than reaching for a coffee, soda or energy drink, maybe we should be taking a nap. A new study from the University of Michigan found that people who nap at work are actually more productive than those who don’t. (Thanks to our friends at Be Well Philly for finding this little nugget.)
Why It Matters: Once a cardinal sin, napping at work is increasingly becoming an accepted practice. My guess is that you have to thank the Silicon Valley techies for setting the tone. Google has had napping pods for quite a while now, but the practice has since spread to Fast Company (which encourages “guilt-free shut eye in the office”) and even the University of Manchester which recently unveiled student napping pods. So if your boss catches you snoozing on the job, say you’re just trying to increase your productivity.
3. Amazon Promises that 20th Anniversary Will Be Bigger than Black Friday
The News: Online retail giant Amazon is having a serious 20th birthday bash. Called Prime Day the company is holding a “global shipping” event that they promise will include more deals than Black Friday.
Here’s more from Amazon:
On Wednesday, July 15, new and existing members in the U.S. will find deals starting at midnight, with new deals starting as often as every ten minutes. They can shop thousands of Lightning Deals, seven popular Deals of the Day and receive unlimited fast, free shipping.
Why It Matters: Is Amazon really creating it’s own holiday? Ok probably not. But this massive publicity campaign — with a free 30 days of Amazon Prime — should add to its already huge customer base.
