Ready to unwrap the possibilities of 2025? Let’s start by looking back at the 2024 holiday season—and what advertisers and retailers did to stand out.
In 2024, digital commerce surged…
- Global advertising revenue was projected to increase 7.8% to $989.8 billion. (GroupM)
- Online holiday sales in the U.S. grew 8.7% year-over-year, totaling $241.4 billion. (Adobe Analytics)
- Global online holiday sales reached $1.2 trillion. (Salesforce)
Brands seeking ways to navigate the 2025 holiday landscape—which will also be influenced by shifting global economic headwinds and possible market volatility—need to make every marketing dollar count.
Here are the most important lessons from 2024 that can help shape your advertising strategy and reach buyers during the holiday season ahead.
The expanding holiday season: Beyond the Cyber 5
Holiday shopping historically peaked around the “Cyber 5,” also known as the five-day period including Thanksgiving, Black Friday, the following weekend, and Cyber Monday for those digital-only deals. However, in 2024, we saw a significant shift in how and when people shopped.
Buying started earlier and continued later. In Europe, for example, the Cyber 5 garnered just 7% of impressions, 9% of clicks, and 12% of conversions throughout the mid-September through mid-December period.1 In the U.S., impressions and click seasonality shifted toward November, but conversions happened earlier.2
January has become the secret MVP of the holiday season. Interestingly, the U.S. noted 25% more conversions after Christmas, which offers ongoing opportunities for advertisers to carry campaigns and revenue into the new year.2
