Deck the Screens: How Buyers Can Unlock Campaign Success this Holiday Season

Stepping into this holiday season feels uniquely nuanced. The usual twinkling lights and festive cheer are coming against shifting consumer sentiment, a compressed shopping window, and economic variables that may reshape how—and when—shoppers hit the stores this year. Retailers and advertisers feel the impact as they navigate a landscape where adaptability is more important than ever. With fewer shopping days and heightened competition, capturing consumer attention is not just about being festive. To unlock campaign success it’s about being strategic, agile, and deeply tuned in to what audiences want and need in this unique moment.

Nuances of 2024 Holiday Season: Politics, Inventory, and Consumer Spending

According to iSpotTV, holiday-themed national TV commercial airings in the US dropped by approximately 43% in October 2024 compared to October 2023. The shortened holiday ads season makes campaign scheduling and budgeting critical to ensure advertisers target the right audiences at peak engagement moments on the right channels. Potentially heightened competition for premium inventory and higher CPMs as marketers play catch-up mean advertisers must be agile. They must recognize these distinct shifts and adjust strategies accordingly to capture consumer attention and dollars.

For instance, the National Retail Federation’s Cyber Five annual survey projected a record 183.4 million people would shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year. That’s 11% higher than pre-pandemic 2019 but only approximately 1% up on 2023. Early insights from Adobe Analytics show record Black Friday spending online of $10.8 billion in purchases, an increase of more than 10% over a year ago.

“To make the most of Q4, advertisers should strategically harness TV Streaming’s strengths. Focus on seizing holiday demand by aligning ads with peak search activity and consumer intent on platforms where viewers seek gift ideas and seasonal inspiration. Extend campaigns through 12/31 to stand out as others pull back, targeting audiences at home for the holidays and activating new streaming devices. Leverage binge-watching habits by placing ads within popular holiday content, enhance engagement with festive storytelling, and stay agile to optimize results.”

Miles Fisher, Sr. Director, Strategic Advertising Partnerships, Roku

Helping Brands Maximize Holiday Campaign ROI

There are a number of ways that publishers – with their supply-side partners – are creating opportunities for brands to boost their ROI during the holidays, and all year round.

Curated Inventory and Contextual Targeting

Publishers offer curated holiday inventory and pre-built packages that help brands tap into highly relevant audiences. By targeting content that aligns with holiday themes, such as gift guides or seasonal events, publishers create natural spaces for brand messaging. Contextual targeting also ensures that ads resonate more deeply, reaching consumers when they are in the right mindset—whether searching for gift ideas or exploring holiday activities.

Omnichannel Campaigns

Maximizing ROI during the holidays means being where your audience is, whether they’re browsing the web, watching gift guides and reviews, listening to podcasts, or watching streaming content. Streamlined access to omnichannel opportunities allows brands to meet their audiences seamlessly across platforms. Check out Magnite’s holiday inventory or take advantage of the Magnite Explorer – a search tool for exploring publishers and the devices, formats, content genres, and buying options they offer.

Engaging Ad Formats

Additionally, interactive and shoppable ad formats bring convenience to consumers, allowing them to directly engage or purchase products without friction, which can significantly improve conversion rates. Buyers should take advantage of the shoppable innovations we’ve seen recently as media owners expand bottom-of-the-funnel opportunities. Examples include Shopsense AI, Brightline, and Kerv.

Balancing Holiday and Non-Holiday Ads

Brands need to balance holiday-themed ads with general messaging. Not every consumer is in a festive shopping mood all the time. If a consumer is actively browsing holiday-related content, a holiday-themed ad is well-placed, but other times, a more neutral or evergreen ad might be more effective. Publishers provide nuanced audience segmentation to ensure brands serve the right type of ad at the right frequency.

Audience Segmentation for Precision Targeting

By using first-party data and behavioral insights, publishers help brands target specific segments—such as early planners, last-minute shoppers, or specific interest groups. Tailoring ads to resonate with each segment enhances relevance and ultimately drives higher engagement and ROI.

For instance, Magnite Audiences leverage first-party data from Magnite’s trusted supply pool to help buyers reach addressable audiences at scale with our DV+ platform. By leveraging AI-powered classification technology, Magnite Audiences makes it easy for buyers to target 500+ segments based on user behavior, like recent searches or purchases. Some of our holiday-relevant Magnite Audiences include “Black Friday,” “Holiday Movies,” “Holiday Decoration,” “Toy Shoppers,” and many more.

Holiday Campaign Strategies and Beyond

Embracing flexibility in ad campaigns will be key this year, with access to omnichannel inventory and precise audience targeting at peak engagement moments across media. Although advertisers need to be prepared for surges in consumer spending, we should never undervalue the power of trust and loyalty that brands can drive from smart, consistent campaign pacing. Marketing is an investment. It builds value over time and will help brands weather different situations by maintaining trust, differentiation, and consumer loyalty.