Brands may need to rethink their festive marketing timelines as shoppers begin researching, comparing and planning purchases well before the traditional peak shopping period, according to Pinterest.
Festive activity among its users begins to rise as early as September, suggesting that advertisers could benefit from reaching consumers before the peak weeks of the season.
Pinterest said its audience includes shoppers planning purchases such as gifts, festive menus, parties and seasonal traditions. It recommended that advertisers use an always-on, full-funnel approach instead of concentrating spending around the end of the year.
The platform cited a recent study in which advertisers recorded an average incremental return on ad spend (iROAS) of 3.71, with more than half of incremental sales coming from new buyers. Pinterest said advertisers that ran full-funnel campaigns for several months recorded stronger returns than those that relied on shorter campaigns.
For marketers planning festive campaigns, Pinterest outlined five areas to consider.
Start with campaign foundations, where brands ensure their product catalogues and feeds are ready before spending begins. Advertisers should also define their campaign goals and key performance indicators and set up measurement systems to assess the impact of their spending.
Pinterest recommended that advertisers use its automation and AI tools, such as Performance+ offering ahead of the fourth quarter. The recent updates to its ad delivery models resulted in a 28% improvement in ROAS during testing among small and medium-sized businesses using Performance+ campaigns with ROAS bidding.
Marketers can use other seasonal moments, such as back-to-school campaigns and Halloween, to test creative formats, audience engagement and retargeting strategies. The results can then inform festive campaigns.
The platform recommended launching festive campaigns between September and November and scaling budgets and creative into the fourth quarter based on early campaign performance. It also advised brands to continue optimising campaigns throughout the season.
The period between Christmas and New Year’s Day can also offer opportunities for advertisers. Pinterest said 55% of its weekly users continue to shop online during this period, while 45% continue shopping in stores.
The platform suggested that brands keep campaigns active after Christmas by updating budgets and creative around New Year-related shopping and offers.
For advertisers, the broader strategy points to a shift from treating festive marketing as a short December push to planning for a longer shopping journey that starts months earlier and extends into January.
