CREATIVE vs. cash

The upcoming Cannes Lions just announced Apple is creative marketer of the year, which will no doubt put the company in even more PowerPoint decks about "how creativity matters in advertising" this year.

It's probably deserved. And it's absolutely true that creativity can massively increase the effectiveness of advertising. (Binet & Field say the creative multiplier is 11x — obviously a nod to Spinal Tap.)

But there's something else important to know: Apple spends a crap-ton on advertising.

When they launched iPod, they outspent all their competition combined. In 2011 they were outspending Samsung, their closest competitor in phones, 3 to 1. And in 2015 their ad spend jumped 50% to $1.8Bn. Interestingly, in 2016 they stopped reporting ad spend.

So yeah, argue to make your advertising more creative.

But also argue to crush your rivals in total spend.

Pathmatics: Apple won’t disclose its advertising spend but we will.

Adweek: Apple is Cannes Lions’ 2019 creative marketer of the year.