Dive Brief: 

• In 2013, Samsung devoted 5.3% ($11.3 billion) of its global revenue to marketing. 
• Comparatively, competitors spent a fraction: Xiaomi only used 1% of its revenue, and Apple shelled out less than one-tenth the amount Samsung did. 
• Declining sales and continued marketing spending have squeezed Samsung's revenues, with operating income down 24% for the company's third straight quarterly decline. 

Dive Insight: 

Samsung is doing something right, as it still holds the No. 1 smartphone spot — but at what cost? If that spot is being held by massive spending and it's not helping revenues, it may not always be best to be No. 1.