Holiday Advertising: Do You Hear What I Hear?

Navigating political noise & Gen Z nuance in the holiday shopping season

We’re approaching the “most wonderful time of the year”—a season filled with holiday cheer, but also one of the most lucrative sales periods for brands. In-store audio will regale customers with seasonal tunes, pilgrimages to find the perfect gifts have already started, and holiday promotions will soon overwhelm our senses and inboxes. While not everyone is ready for the festivities, 76% of consumers are already primed, saying that holiday campaigns should start before Thanksgiving.

However, this year, marketers face an unusually tricky set of dual challenges: breaking through the unprecedented noise of political campaigns while also adapting to evolving consumer behavior—particularly with Gen Z. This mix will be a tough, but surmountable, challenge to brands seeking to break through the noise this holiday season.

Political noise: competing with election ads

In our recent Holiday Advertising report , over half of holiday shoppers said they plan to start their shopping before November (52%), with another 40% saying they would start shopping during November, particularly in the first half of the month. But this year has brands competing for visibility not only alongside one another but against highly funded and contentious political campaigns.

This election cycle’s advertising spend is projected to be unprecedented, estimated between $10.2 billion and $15 billion–a 13% increase from 2020. Even before holiday campaigns are launched, political ads are already dominating prime advertising spaces like TV/CTV, social media, and digital video channels. Not only is this adding to the ad noise, but it will likely also increase CPM and other placement costs.

Despite the overwhelming noise from political ads, brands targeting younger audiences—particularly Gen Z—have a potential advantage: the intersection of digital nativity and social conscientiousness. Gen Z’s dedication to researching and connecting with authentic, socially conscious brands and movements means they actively try to bypass irrelevant messaging—which will include political ads—to align spending with their values. 

Consumer nuance: winning over Gen Z

Even with the political noise in the background, consumers are geared up this year to take advantage of traditional shopping days like Black Friday (63% online, 41% in-person) and Cyber Monday (59%). And a whopping 89% of consumers said they would also shop at least one retailer-specific early holiday shopping event (Prime Day, etc.).

But with Gen Z we are seeing a notable shift in their purchase journeys and preferences: 

• Discovering products and deals digitally. Their frequent use of social media for entertainment and brand engagement puts immense amounts of inspiration and product discovery in their purview…constantly. According to DISQO’s report, online ads, social media, and in-game ads are their top three preferred channels for deals and discounts. 
• They investigate first and often. They are big proponents of researching before they buy, and are more deliberate with purchases, especially with socially and culturally conscious brands.
• They are “influenced.” They are +17 pts more likely to be swayed by influencers. Fifty-one percent (51%) said they feel influencers create new trends, compared to only 36% of Millenials. And 73% said they have purchased from a creator either in-store or online. Brands like Glossier and Nike have successfully tapped into Gen Z’s influencer-driven habits, creating authentic connections that resonate with this audience.
• And they are out and about. The thoughtful and purposeful nature of their spending extends to their passionate participation in communal and experiential in-person events. The burst of success with movie-themed popcorn buckets, in-audience guerilla campaigns for language learning apps at concerts, and pop-up events for album launches highlights the power of connecting online and offline marketing efforts.

Ultimately, while political campaigns and evolving consumer behavior may seem like hurdles this year, brands that start early, use less competitive platforms, and strategically embrace Gen Z’s preferences will have the opportunity to stand out. By cutting through the noise with authenticity, relevance, and a mix of both digital and in-store strategies, brands can break away from the competition and make a lasting impact.