Where Do All The Consumer Advertising Dollars Go?

We've talked about the VC crunch and the operational headaches facing consumer startups, but there's another burning question: Where exactly are these brands spending their marketing dollars - often up to 40% of their revenues?

Big Tech’s Grip on Digital Advertising

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Let’s face it: Digital dominates. Over 60% of consumer brand budgets now funnel straight into digital channels, chasing the promise of measurable returns. But here's the kicker - most of that money ends up in the hands of just three companies: Google, Meta (Facebook), and Amazon. Together, these tech giants hoover up more than 60% of the global digital ad spend. And it doesn't stop there; emerging platforms like TikTok, Microsoft, and Apple are hungrily carving out even larger slices of the pie.

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Digital Advertising: Spiralling Costs, Shrinking Control

Here’s the harsh reality: Digital ad costs are skyrocketing. Cost-per-click (CPC) rates on Google, Meta, and Amazon have surged, especially in the U.S., sending customer acquisition costs (CAC) through the roof. For growth-driven brands, this is becoming unsustainable, fast.

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What’s worse, these platforms control every aspect - pricing, audience targeting, and ad performance data - leaving brands with little room to manoeuvre. Without careful management, digital spend quickly turns into hefty profits for platforms, but minimal ROI for the brands footing the bill.

Just look at the recent Google Ads outage. According to Adweek, tens of thousands of advertising dollars evaporated over a single weekend. Digital ad agency ADSQUIRE saw massive drops in impressions—from 13% to a staggering 95% across nearly a third of its client accounts. If ever brands needed a wake-up call about platform dependency, this was it.

Vinay Solanki from Channel 4 Ventures puts it bluntly: “The cost of acquiring customers through digital channels has become so expensive that it eventually becomes a dead end.”

The Hidden Danger of Digital Overload

The message is clear: Relying too heavily on digital ads is risky business. Spiralling costs, platform outages, and diminished control are glaring warning signs. To thrive, brands must diversify. Integrating traditional channels like broadcast TV alongside digital can balance costs and drive real, scalable growth.

In an era where Big Tech holds the cards, consumer brands must play smarter, not harder. Strategic oversight is more crucial than ever to ensure marketing budgets contribute effectively to growth rather than merely bolstering Big Tech's margins.

But how exactly are savvy brands pivoting their advertising strategies to achieve balanced, sustainable growth? Stick around - the next article dives deep into the winning playbook.

This article is part of a series uncovering the funding and business challenges faced by consumer brands and how brand advertising can play a strategic role in accelerating growth. If you missed out on the other posts, take a look here: