Earned & PaidRalph Lauren
Ralph Lauren spent $635M on advertising and marketing in fiscal 2026, up 23.1% on the year before and +133% since 2019. That's 7.8% of revenue, more than in 2019: leaning in.
Marketing spend by year
Bars: advertising and marketing expense, $B (10-K). Line: spend as a share of revenue.
What they told investors
“We continue to view these marketing investments as critical drivers of long-term brand desirability, customer acquisition and lifetime value.”Justin Picicci · 2027 Q1 · transcript
“We continue to see strong ROI from this rolling thunder of activations, and we remain comfortable with the 8% marketing investment guided for this year, knowing that as we've talked, as we continue to expand margin in the future, we do expect to continue to further invest in…”Patrice Louvet · 2027 Q1 · transcript
“Moving to our second key initiative, drive the core and expand for more.”Patrice Louvet · 2027 Q1 · transcript
“First is building brand desirability through our distinctive cinematic storytelling.”management · 2027 Q1 · transcript
“Our marketing teams are really doing a fantastic job around the world, building brand desirability, recruiting new customers.”management · 2027 Q1 · transcript
“You heard us talk about the first ever Polo match organized in Beijing that we did recently, 74 million people live streamed that Polo match, just to give you a sense of the scale that's possible when our teams really hit a nerve with consumers.”Patrice Louvet · 2027 Q1 · transcript
What the 10-K says about marketing
- investing in brand “Despite the competitive environment, we plan to continue driving our broader long-term strategy of brand elevation, which includes multiple levers to continue driving average unit retail growth and brand equity.” 10-K, May 21, 2026
Say vs do
Of the 1 statement about its marketing budget that the filings can check, 1 held up.
What they said
“Marketing was 8.1% of fourth quarter sales, compared to 6.6% last year.”
Justin Picicci on the 2026 Q4 earnings call, May 21, 2026 · transcript
Backed by the filings Marketing as a share of revenue, FY2025 → FY2026: 7.3% → 7.8% (+0.5 pts)
“We continue to view these marketing investments as critical drivers of long-term brand desirability, customer acquisition and lifetime value.”
Justin Picicci on the 2027 Q1 earnings call, Aug 13, 2026 · transcript
Can't tell from annual filings It's about part of a year; filings report full years.
“With revenue growth exceeding our initial expectations for this year, and strong returns on our brand activations, we are taking up our full-year marketing outlook to a range of 7.5% to 8%, in line with our long-term expectations.”
Justin Picicci on the 2026 Q3 earnings call, Feb 5, 2026 · transcript
Can't tell from annual filings It's about part of a year; filings report full years.
“We've seen really strong, healthy returns out of our marketing.”
Management on the 2026 Q3 earnings call, Feb 5, 2026 · transcript
Can't tell from annual filings It's about part of the business; filings report one company-wide number.
What they did
| Year | Marketing spend | Change | Share of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $635M | +23.1% | 7.8% |
| FY2025 | $516M | +10.5% | 7.3% |
| FY2024 | $467M | +6.6% | 7.0% |
| FY2023 | $438M | -3.9% | 6.8% |
| FY2022 | $456M | +72.1% | 7.3% |
| FY2021 | $265M | -4.7% | 6.0% |
Against its peers. Compared with the 4 other Apparel advertisers we track (Nike, Lululemon, Levi Strauss, Under Armour): since 2019 its marketing spend went +133% (peer median +18%); its share of revenue moved +3.5 pts (median +0.3); last year +23.1% (median +1.5%).
How we check: a statement gets a verdict only when it's clearly about the size of the whole company's marketing budget over a full fiscal year; we compare it with the advertising and marketing expense in that year's 10-K. Statements about one quarter, one brand or channel, or the mix between brand and performance can't be checked against annual filings.
What they say about media
The marketing channels it talks about using for itself on earnings calls and in its 10-Ks and 10-Qs, since 2019; counts are statements, not spending.
- Sponsorships & athletes “We continue to amplify evergreen platforms like Wimbledon.” Patrice Louvet on the earnings call · Aug 13, 2026 · source
- Creative campaigns · Experiential & events “Through our fashion shows, key city campaigns, celebrations of important historical moments and heritage sporting events, we are bringing the world of Ralph Lauren to life in distinct and immersive ways.” Patrice Louvet on the earnings call · Aug 13, 2026 · source
- CRM, loyalty & first-party data “That for us is a smaller subset of our consumer base, but this is with targeted personalized marketing with very specific tactical product value propositions, clienteling reach out, et cetera.” Justin Picicci on the earnings call · Aug 13, 2026 · source
- Influencers & creators “We activated around the world across the games with celebrities and friends of the brand, including Usher, Sean White, Maggie Rogers, Snoop Dogg, and Taylor Swift, who kicked off the opening ceremony broadcast wearing our Team USA Polo Bear tee.” Patrice Jean Louis Louvet on the earnings call · May 21, 2026 · source
- AI in marketing “Along with a range of other activations, including our AI-powered store windows, featuring our Polo Bear and digital campaigns, our holiday campaigns drove a combined 2.9 billion global impressions.” Patrice Louvet on the earnings call · Feb 5, 2026 · source
In the news
- Ralph Lauren Unveils 2026 Pink Pony Campaign Celebrating ‘The Power of Us’ in Global Fight Against Cancer WWD · paywall · Sep 29, 2026 · campaign
- Ralph Lauren faces boycott calls for featuring Israeli actress Gal Gadot The Business Standard · Sep 28, 2026 · campaign
- BEAMS Reunites with Polo Ralph Lauren for 50th Anniversary Collection Modern Notoriety · Sep 28, 2026 · sponsorship
- Polo Ralph Lauren And TÓPA Release Second Collection With Jocy And Trae Little Sky COWGIRL Magazine · Sep 27, 2026 · sponsorship