In 2020, there’s no shortage of advertising in our daily life. So when a major company decides not to advertise, it can be pretty surprising.
Surprisingly or not, Tesla spent $0 in advertisements in 2019, according to a report by Tesmanian, sharing data compiled by Statista. This figure is compared to others like Hyundai, Lincoln, and Jaguar, among others, some of which spent between $1,500 and $2,000 for each of its vehicles.
While it is certainly surprising how much Tesla has grown in spite of not advertising, CEO Elon Musk has spoken out against advertising before, as the company’s products speak for themselves, with sales being driven through word-of-mouth testimonials.
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Tesla does not advertise or pay for endorsements. Instead, we use that money to make the product great. https://t.co/SsrfOq1Xyc
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 19, 2019
Musk’s refusal to advertise for Tesla is a bold proclamation in the world, and especially in the auto industry. Other brands included in the list were Lincoln, Dodge, Cadillac, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Honda, and BMW, all of which had spent money on advertising.
Per vehicle, Hyundai spent by far the most on advertising, at $2,057 USD per vehicle. On the opposite end, Dodge spent just $91 per vehicle, the second least amount after Tesla. About half of the companies spent between $1,000 and $2,000 per vehicle, and the other half ranged between $0 and $300 per vehicle.
Still, Tesla won out in the “least spent on advertising” category by literally not spending any money. And something they’re doing must be working – the company has grown steadily since its creation, and this year has been especially fruitful for them.
