For a product launch, allocate ad spend strategically over time. Use the first week (5-10% of budget) for creative testing. Maintain a flat, scaled spend for the middle weeks. Concentrate the majority of the budget (60-70%) in the final week, with up to 50% in the last three days to capitalize on urgency.

After Q4 holiday demand dries up, a surplus of TV ad inventory leads to significant discounts. Brands, especially in health and wellness, can use this period—dubbed Q5—to build momentum for Q1 at a lower cost, securing premium placements for up to 60% off.

Instead of creating a new product for Black Friday, feature something that has already sold well and delivered results. This strategy increases the likelihood of success and minimizes effort during a busy season, focusing on smart framing rather than risky invention.

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.

Tushy's BFCM ad strategy involves three layers: 1) Keep top-performing evergreen ads running as-is to capture momentum. 2) Create simple offer-based variations of those winners using text overlays. 3) Launch a diverse portfolio of net-new concepts to achieve 'horizontal scale' and find new winners.

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.

To capitalize on early holiday shoppers, consumer brands should start using the term 'Black Friday' in email subject lines during the last week of October and the first week of November. This tactic can lift open rates by more than 25%, beating competitors who wait until mid-November.