What you will find in the article:
- US advertisers are launching holiday campaigns earlier this year.
- 55% of advertisers plan to increase their holiday budgets for 2026.
- 79% of consumers are influenced by special deals and promotions.
- TV and social media are the most impactful advertising channels.
- 62% of consumers prefer budget-friendly holiday ad themes.
According to the study, pre-Labor Day campaign launches nearly doubled year over year, from 4 per cent to 8 per cent, while 77 per cent of advertisers plan to launch their holiday campaigns by November. October remains the biggest kickoff month, with 34 per cent of advertisers planning to launch then.
The findings are part of the Yahoo DSP 2026 Holiday Shopping Study, which examines how consumers and advertisers are approaching the holiday season. Key findings include:
Holiday ad budgets are rising: 55 per cent of advertisers plan to increase their 2026 holiday budgets, up from 44 per cent in 2025. Agencies (57 per cent) and marketers (54 per cent) are largely aligned on plans to increase spending.
Advertisers are competing harder for discretionary spend: 83 per cent plan to update holiday messaging to compete for discretionary dollars, while 94 per cent will place greater emphasis on measuring online and offline sales impact. High-impact CTV is also a priority, with 90 per cent planning to use formats such as pause, first-position and interactive ads, up from 83 per cent in 2025.
Deals remain the biggest driver of consumer action: 79 per cent of consumers say their holiday purchases are influenced by special deals and promotions. Great deals and discounts are also the top reason consumers click ‘Buy Now” on digital ads (54 per cent), followed by free shipping or bonus gifts (42 per cent).
Budget-friendly messaging is gaining appeal: 62 per cent of consumers say budget-friendly deals are an appealing holiday ad theme, ahead of nostalgia and family warmth (51 per cent), humor and entertainment (47 per cent), and heartfelt or emotional storytelling (42 per cent).
TV and social remain the most influential advertising channels: 62 per cent of consumers say TV or streaming ads influence their holiday purchases, followed by social media ads (60 per cent), shoppable ads (60 per cent), short-form digital video (59 per cent) and display or banner ads (57 per cent).
Ad dollars are following consumer attention: Social media leads the channels where advertisers plan to increase holiday spending (59 per cent), followed closely by CTV (58 per cent) and video (53 per cent). CTV investment is up significantly from 45 per cent in 2025, with 68 per cent of agencies planning to increase CTV spend compared with 42 per cent of marketers.
The Yahoo DSP 2026 Holiday Shopping Study includes a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted June 22–26, 2026. The advertiser findings are based on a separate US study of advertising decision-makers involved in media brand selection at organizations with at least $1 million in advertising spend over the next 12 months.
Source: advanced-television.com