Julia Faria
Research lead covering advertising and marketing
Food advertising in the United States – statistics & facts
Food advertising aims to communicate a product's features and benefits to persuade consumers to purchase it. From in-store displays to commercials and even packaging, these tactics invite companies to be creative, stand out, and extend their competition for customers' minds, hearts, and stomachs. In 2022, measured media spending in the United States food, beverages, and candy sector amounted to 7.5 billion U.S. dollars – with restaurants accounting for another nine billion. Altogether, the two segments' investments accounted for roughly one-third of the expenditure of retail, the leading sector. That year, the U.S. canned, frozen, and preserved fruits, vegetables, and specialty foods ad spend reached almost another billion dollars.
Soda and pizza top brand rankings
In 2023, The Coca-Cola Company was the highest-valued beverage brand worldwide by a wide margin, valued at 98 billion dollars. Even combined, the following six brands in the ranking – Nongfu Spring, Pepsi, Red Bull, Nespresso, Yili, and Nescafé – did not reach that figure. In 2022, the soft drink producer's flagship beverage, Coke, was the most advertised beverage brand in the U.S., with 327 million dollars in ad expenditure. In the meantime, Domino's was the leading restaurant chain in the U.S. by advertising spending. The pizza delivery and take-out restaurant chain spent almost 800 million dollars on ads. The company rebranded significantly after Patrick Doyle became CEO in 2010, focusing on the pizza-delivery business instead of the pizza-making business.Global confectionary phenomenon: Nestlé
In 2022, Nestlé – a Swiss confectionary company established in 1866 – was the most valuable food brand worldwide, with a brand value of nearly 21 billion dollars. This figure was almost twice the value of the second-ranked Chinese dairy producer Yili. The food industry giant continues to spend heavily on advertising to promote its products and reach potential customers. That year, the company's investment in ads in the U.S. surpassed 2.4 billion dollars, marking its fifth consecutive annual increase in ad expenditure in that market.
