The period from October to January is when audiences plan for the upcoming year. All content, from resources to webinars, should be explicitly framed for the next year (e.g., "for 2027") during this window to maximize engagement and capture planning-phase interest.

It's tempting to postpone foundational work like data integration until the slower post-holiday period. However, the holiday sales surge provides the richest dataset for testing, learning, and setting up automations. Building this foundation during Q4 allows insights to compound, driving more sustainable growth throughout the following year.

The first two weeks of October represent the year's second-highest period for customer opt-ins, trailing only Thanksgiving. This is driven by consumers seeking holiday deals and businesses finalizing future plans, making it a critical window for marketers to launch aggressive data capture campaigns like incentivized pop-ups.

Don't worry that BFCM shoppers are low-LTV "bargain hunters." The primary goal of the holiday sales period isn't acquiring loyal customers; it's maximizing revenue and boosting your overall blended ROAS. Focus on top-of-funnel acquisition in the months leading up to November.

'Early access' marketing, where promotions begin far in advance of an event or season, is a major trend. It has grown 35% year-over-year across both business and consumer categories, showing a significant shift toward earlier campaign launches.

To avoid skyrocketing CPMs and intense competition during the traditional Black Friday week, Comfort launches its holiday sales campaign on October 15th. The strategy is to be first to market, capture budget from early shoppers, and build momentum before every other brand starts their promotions.

A key to Resident's Black Friday success is being comfortable with poor efficiency metrics in the weeks leading up to the sale. They know the investment will pay off when the holiday surge "right-sizes" the overall numbers. This requires "intestinal fortitude" to not pull back spend prematurely.

Brands must recalibrate their holiday marketing calendars. Data shows the peak shopping season no longer begins on Black Friday but rather with Amazon's Prime Day in early October. This marks the true start of sustained consumer holiday spending, requiring brands to launch major campaigns much earlier.

Data shows a predictable drop in shopper intent from roughly November 7th to 20th. Brands should run an initial early November sale, then strategically pull back ad spend during this "dead zone" to preserve budget for the main BFCM push starting around the 21st.