Samsung, Microsoft, Google and Apple to spend billions on Christmas ads

The advertising assault to capture your Christmas cash and secure a place as the must-have item this holiday season has begun. According to analysts, this Christmas is set to be the biggest yet because there are so many new products launching. We’re talking about a marketing spend of several billion dollars in the last three months of 2012.

We’ve got new entries in Google’s Nexus range. We’ve got Microsoft and the Windows 8 launch accompanied by the mobile platform reboot, Windows Phone 8. We’ve got the new iPhone, soon to be joined by an iPad mini if the persistent rumors are true. We’ve got a huge range of new Samsung products from the Galaxy Camera to the Galaxy S3 “mini” to the ATIV S to its TV line. We’ve also got a whole new range of Kindle e-readers and tablets from Amazon, not to mention big pushes from Nokia, Sony and many others.

Rob Enderle told the Guardian that this Christmas ad spending “is on a scale you don’t see outside presidential elections”.

Shaun Collins of mobile researcher CCS Insight added:

“We’ve got an unprecedented number of significant launches from vast global players in a short period of time and the combination of those three things is creating this tsunami of advertising. It’s as big a quarter as we’ve ever seen. The level of commitment each of these players is willing to put behind a mobile launch shows how valuable it could be if they get it right.”

The figures are staggering for 2012. Microsoft is set to spend $1.6 billion for the year, Samsung will spend $2.7 billion, Google will spend $1.5 billion, Amazon will spend $1.4 billion, and Apple will spend $933 million.

Microsoft is going all-out for Windows 8 and WP8, and manufacturers like HTC and Nokia will be hoping to benefit. Can it finally make a dent in the mobile dominance of Android and iOS?

What’s going to be on your Christmas list? Will you be persuaded by a tempting ad? Post a comment and let us know.

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