![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a18ad0a05440c39aae838_How%20Business%20Communication%20Platforms%20Allocated%20%2426M%20in%20%20Digital%20Ads%20in%201%20Year.png)
How Business Communication Platforms Allocated $26M in Digital Ads in 1 Year
Key Takeaways
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/60c7bc0338e68af93665a498_Key%20Takeaways%20%E2%80%93%C2%A0Divider%20%E2%80%93%C2%A0Gradient.png)
Advertising Channel Scan™
Advertising Trends
- Brands in the competitive set spent the most on Paid Search ($14.2M), followed by OTT ($2.5M) and Display ($2.4M). Snapchat ($37K) saw the lowest ad spend allocations.
- All brands in the competitive set saw decreases in ad spend from the first half to the second half of the time period except for Meta Workplace (+50%).
- All channels saw decreases in ad spend from the first half to the second half of the period except for Display (+22%) and Twitter (+27%). TikTok was experimented with for the first time in the second half of the period.
- 62% of brands saw Paid Search advertising on their top 2 rosters for the highest spends.
- Zoom had the highest budget amongst the competitive set, with an ad spend of $13.9M from Nov. ‘21 - Oct. ‘22.
Content Trends
- Zoom had ads that focused on incentivizing the viewer to click by providing a free sign-up or a 50% discount on its sign-up.
- Microsoft Teams ran an Instagram ad advertising that they’re now on YouTube. The copy states this YouTube channel shares tips and how-to guides for Microsoft Teams.
- Microsoft Teams partnered with Starbucks during the holiday season to help their users easily give a gift to their coworkers using their platform.
- Cisco Webex utilizes their client, Formula 1 McLaren team, in their ads to convey to viewers the reliability of their platform and capitalize on the popularity of Formula 1.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
The following companies were included in the competitive set for this analysis:
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a19acce01d71719e0993b_Screenshot_36.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
From November 2021 to October 2022, the competitive set spent $19.3M on digital advertising. Zooms’ Paid Search and Display spend led to the spike in investment.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a19b8faa4ec8eacf291a0_Screenshot_37.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
All brands in the competitive set saw decreases in ad spend from the first half to the second half of the time period except for Meta Workplace (+50%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a19c6faa4ec33ecf29dc9_Screenshot_38.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
All channels saw decreases in ad spend from the first half to the second half of the period except for Display (+22%) and Twitter (+27%). TikTok was experimented with for the first time in the second half of the period.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a19d504e143201643c6e8_Screenshot_39.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Paid Search ($14.2M) saw the highest budget allocation across the competitive set, followed by OTT ($2.5M) and Display ($2.4M).
TikTok ($226K) and Snapchat ($37K) saw the lowest ad spend allocations from November 2021 to October 2022.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a19e9f4e0e3943fb36653_Screenshot_40.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
From November 2021 to October 2022, the United States saw the highest budget allocation across the competitive set at $17.2M.
Ad spend in Canada represented 13% of the budget at $2.6M. All brands in the competitive set had a budget allocation of less than 15% toward Canada.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1a00ce01d7c7b7e0e5b9_Screenshot_41.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
From November 2021 to October 2022, Zoom spent $13.9M on digital advertising. 83% of their budget went towards Paid Search ($11.5M), followed by Display at $1.3M.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1a55af3223cb22f9cdc2_Screenshot_42.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Zoom budgeted $9.8M toward Desktop Paid Search (85%) compared to $1.7M on Mobile Paid Search (15%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1a6b58917189082dcfa0_Screenshot_43.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Paid Search Tactics
Zoom spent $11.5M on Paid Search from November 2021 to October 2022. January 2022 saw the highest ad spend of $2.2M*.
Catchy Tagline:
- Both ads from Zoom featured the memorable tagline “start zooming today”.
Free Sign Ups:
- Zoom’s ads both feature call-to-actions like “request a demo” and “sign up free today” to incentivize customers to click on their ad.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1bdbe63146c00bf2802f_Screenshot_44.png)
*Ads shown from January 2022
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Zoom budgeted $964K toward Desktop Display ads (72%) compared to $376K on Mobile Paid Search (28%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1c1afaa4ec0218f3ddf0_Screenshot_45.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Display Tactics
Zoom spent $1.3M on Display ads from November 2021 to October 2022.
Utilizing Buttons:
- Both top display ads from Zoom utilized an eye-catching bright orange button against a white background to incentivize people to click on the ad.
Keeping It Minimal:
- Both display ads are minimal in design and contain a limited amount of text. Maintaining a simple design can allow for quicker comprehension.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1c50551c0c5fbc83be81_Screenshot_46.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
From November 2021 to October 2022, Cisco Webex spent $3.9M on digital advertising. 50% of their budget went towards Paid Search ($2M), followed by OTT at $985K (25%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1c8c0d5a457bcef0ffe8_Screenshot_47.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Cisco Webex budgeted $1.5M toward Desktop Paid Search (77%) compared to $455K on Mobile Paid Search (23%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1cbdaf322375e1fc46d6_Screenshot_48.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Paid Search Tactics
Cisco Webex spent $1.97M on Paid Search from November 2021 to October 2022. May 2022 saw the highest ad spend of $413K*.
Answering Concerns:
- Both ads from Cisco Webex answer the concerns of company executives looking for a new platform with phrases like “seamless integration”, “security & privacy”, and “more effectively”.
One Size Fits All:
- Cisco Webex ensures that the viewer knows that their platform can support companies of any size through phrases like “scalable for large teams” and “teams of any size”.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1cdcf4e0e33f8db54d80_Screenshot_49.png)
*Ads shown from May 2022
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Cisco Webex budgeted $839K toward Other* OTT (85%) compared to $112K on Hulu OTT (11%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1d08faa4ecba41f46a97_Screenshot_50.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
OTT Tactics
Cisco Webex spent $985K on OTT from November 2021 to October 2022. January 2022 saw the highest ad spend of $231K.
Sports Team Partnerships:
- In this ad, Cisco Webex features their partnership with Formula 1 team, McLaren, to leverage Formula 1’s popularity and showcase how McLaren trusts and relies on Cisco Webex.
Work from Anywhere:
- In this ad, Cisco Webex uses multiple working scenarios to showcase the variety of places one can use it’s platform.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1d2659bbf9de2e09ca95_Screenshot_51.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
From November 2021 to October 2022, Meta Workplace spent $1.2M on digital advertising. 55% of their budget went towards Paid Search ($665K), followed by Twitter at $308K (26%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1d3ff12961e84cbc915e_Screenshot_53.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Meta Workplace budgeted $552K toward Desktop Paid Search (84%) compared to $104K on Mobile Paid Search (16%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1d4eeffc1c2f9ae45ff2_Screenshot_54.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Paid Search Tactics
Meta Workplace spent $665K* on Paid Search from November 2021 to October 2022. September 2022 saw the highest ad spend of $350K*.
Focus on Community:
- Both ads focus on community connection messaging with phrases like “give…workers a voice to be part of the company conversation”.
Create Urgency:
- Meta Workplaces creates a sense of urgency in their paid search ads by using the words “today” or “now” in their call-to-actions.
Mobile First:
- Meta Workplace highlights their focus on being “mobile first” in their ads.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1d71a8296fd7837bbae2_Screenshot_55.png)
*Meta Workplace had zero paid search spend for 7/12 months in the analysis. *Ads shown from September 2022.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
On Twitter, Meta Workplace budgeted $305K toward Photo ads (99%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1da36626bd70ccb285a2_Screenshot_56.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Twitter Tactics
Meta Workplace spent $308K on Facebook from November 2021 to October 2022. November 2021 saw the highest ad spend of $239K*.
Signature Colors:
- Meta Workplace utilizes it’s signature brand colours of purple and gray in every single one of their photos.
Carousel Photos:
- Both ads contain a carousel of photos that match the same theme.
Animated Objects:
- Meta Workplace brings an element of fun into their ad by using animated objects such as a plant or slippers with eyes.
Spend: $105K | Imp.: 14.5M | CPM: $7.2
Spend: $85K | Imp.: 11.7M | CPM: $7.2
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
From November 2021 to October 2022, Microsoft Teams spent $301K in digital advertising. 63% of their budget went towards Instagram ($189K), followed by Display ads at $75K (25%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1e5ab859406967d2520f_Screenshot_58.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
On Instagram, Microsoft Teams budgeted $103K toward Video Post ads (54%) followed by Story Post ads at $86K (46%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1e68e13f5af3f8e76e07_Screenshot_59.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Instagram Tactics
Microsoft Teams spent $189K on Instagram from November 2021 to October 2022.
Festive Partnerships:
- Microsoft Teams partnered with Starbucks to help employees easily give a gift to their coworkers during the holiday season.
From Instagram to YouTube:
- Microsoft Teams ran an Instagram ad advertising that they’re now on YouTube. The copy states this YouTube channel shares tips and how-to guides for Microsoft Teams.
Spend: $27K | Imp.: 2.8M | CPM: $9.64
Spend: $14K | Imp.: 1.9M | CPM: $7.37
*Ads shown from November 2021.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Microsoft Teams allocated the majority of their Display ad budget towards Desktop (99%).
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1ecae8c5941e832c47b0_Screenshot_61.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Display Tactics
Microsoft Teams spent $75K on Display ads from November 2021 to October 2022. May 2022 saw the highest ad spend of $9.1K.
Case Study Backed:
- Microsoft Teams utilizes business case studies to back up their claims on how their platform can help a company save time and money.
Optimized Landing Page:
- Both ads lead to a landing page that is broken down into 3 parts:
- 1.) Case studies of small businesses using Teams.
- 2.) Benefits of using Teams.
- 3.) Plan cost breakdown.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/639a1ee5d985197f469b19be_Screenshot_62.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
*Ad spend includes Paid Search, OTT, Facebook, Display, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat. Data not available for OTT, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter in Canada.
*Spend is a directional approximation and does not include retargeting, or behavioural targeting.
*Digital Ad Spend in US & Canada (USD).
*Data not available for Instagram and Snapchat in Canada.
*Paid Search not available for Microsoft Team because they do not have a standalone website.
Make your digital strategy bulletproof.
Get insights like these, customized for your audience and competitors.
Learn about Research-AS-A-SERVICE →