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Influencer Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising: Apple vs. OnePlus
Subject area: Management and Commerce · Area of research: Marketing
Abstract
The rise of social media has transformed marketing, leading brands to weigh influencer-driven campaigns against classic media buys. This paper compares influencer marketing and traditional advertising through the case studies of Apple and OnePlus. Apple invests hundreds of millions in traditional channels (e.g. in 2023 it spent on the order of $775 million on advertising, with its largest chunk in TV, leveraging iconic TV spots and large outdoor campaigns to reinforce its premium brand image. In contrast, OnePlus targets tech-savvy consumers with 100% digital campaigns centered on influencers and social platform. Using secondary data (e.g. spend figures, engagement metrics, and brand valuations), we examine return-on-investment (ROI), audience engagement, and long-term brand impact. We find that influencer marketing typically delivers much higher short-term ROI and engagement per dollar (industry data shows ~$5.78 back per $1 spent on influencer efforts vs. ~$1.80 per $1 for typical ad campaigns), albeit on a smaller scale, whereas Apple?s broad traditional campaigns sustain massive reach and reinforce its $355B brand. The discussion highlights how Apple?s expensive omnichannel approach and OnePlus?s targeted influencer strategy each play to their audience strengths. We conclude that blending both methods?using traditional media for mass awareness and influencers for engagement?offers the most effective strategy.
References
[1] Brand Finance. (2022, July 28). Successful electronics brands are switched on to post-COVID era as Apple remains on top of new global brand ranking [Press release]. Brandfinance.com.
[2] Carmine Mastropierro. (n.d.). Apple marketing and advertising budget explained. carminemastropierro.com.
[3] Fatima, S. (2025, April 16). Paid Ads vs Influencer Marketing: Which One Should You Pick in 2025. InBeat Agency. https://inbeat.agency/blog/paid-ads-vs-influencer-marketing
[4] Portada. (2024, June 18). Smartphone marketing: How OnePlus’s Marcel Campos markets to 20 million tech wizards. portada-online.com.
[5] Pulse Advertising. (n.d.). Pulse x OnePlus case study. pulse-advertising.com.
[6] QuickFrame. (2024, August 27). 12 Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know. QuickFrame. https://quickframe.com/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics/
[7] Singh, P., Kumari, P., Kadam, K., & Suman, S. (2025). Influencer Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising: A Comparative Analysis. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology and Science (IRJMETS), 7(3), 3211–3219.
[8] Storyclash. (2024, June 28). Influencer Marketing ROI: How to measure your campaigns. storyclash.com.
[9] The Influencer Marketing Factory. (2025, March 26). TikTok vs. Instagram: Comparing average engagement rates in 2025. theinfluencermarketingfactory.com.
[10] Warc. (2016, August 18). High-performing ads deliver 180% ROI. Warc.com.
How to cite this paper
@article{1708795,
author = {Rajat Saini},
title = {Influencer Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising: Apple vs. OnePlus},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2025},
volume = {8},
number = {11},
pages = {2332-2335},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1708795.pdf},
abstract = {The rise of social media has transformed marketing, leading brands to weigh influencer-driven campaigns against classic media buys. This paper compares influencer marketing and traditional advertising through the case studies of Apple and OnePlus. Apple invests hundreds of millions in traditional channels (e.g. in 2023 it spent on the order of $775 million on advertising, with its largest chunk in TV, leveraging iconic TV spots and large outdoor campaigns to reinforce its premium brand image. In contrast, OnePlus targets tech-savvy consumers with 100% digital campaigns centered on influencers and social platform. Using secondary data (e.g. spend figures, engagement metrics, and brand valuations), we examine return-on-investment (ROI), audience engagement, and long-term brand impact. We find that influencer marketing typically delivers much higher short-term ROI and engagement per dollar (industry data shows ~$5.78 back per $1 spent on influencer efforts vs. ~$1.80 per $1 for typical ad campaigns), albeit on a smaller scale, whereas Apple?s broad traditional campaigns sustain massive reach and reinforce its $355B brand. The discussion highlights how Apple?s expensive omnichannel approach and OnePlus?s targeted influencer strategy each play to their audience strengths. We conclude that blending both methods?using traditional media for mass awareness and influencers for engagement?offers the most effective strategy.},
month = {May},
}