2024 Halloween to Thanksgiving and Cyber Five Retail Ad Strategy Guide

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With Halloween here and Thanksgiving on the horizon, the time is ripe for retailers to tap into the ongoing holiday shopping rush while setting the groundwork for Thanksgiving, Cyber Five, and beyond. This time of year brings opportunities—and challenges—for advertisers, as they experience rising ad costs and consumer interest in holiday sales.

Let’s look at how Halloween trends can set you up for success across the full holiday retail season.

** (Note: all source links are found at the bottom of the article) 👇

🎃 Key Halloween Trends to Know for the Long Haul

Halloween kicks off the holiday season in a way that’s unique among U.S. holidays.

According to Numerator , Halloween shoppers are mostly focused on candy (79%) and decorations (42%).

This surge in decorative purchases shows a broader interest in festive transformations, which presents advertisers with an excellent chance to engage with audiences across a range of categories.

While food usually tops other major holiday shopping lists, the prominence of décor and seasonal items during Halloween marks a shift that sets the tone for the months to come, where consumer interest extends beyond just essentials.

Save and share this Retail Purchase Trends Guide 👇

🎃 Halloween 2024 Consumer Spend and Shopping Channels

Despite its reputation as a more niche holiday, Halloween shopping still sees substantial spending.

Nearly 25% of shoppers plan to spend more than $100, and most are expected to spend under $50, making this an accessible shopping period for consumers with various budgets.

While grocery stores (45%) and big-box retailers (59%) capture the bulk of purchases, online retail’s 31% share signals strong interest in e-commerce.

This high online activity is promising news for digital advertisers looking to maintain momentum from Halloween right through to Thanksgiving and Cyber Five.

Save and share this Consumer Spending Trends Guide 👇

Purchases will be spread across grocery stores (45%), big-box stores (59%), and online retailers, which claim a 31% share. This is good news for online advertisers, as online shopping plays a bigger role for Halloween than it does for holidays like Thanksgiving (12%) or New Year’s Eve (14%).

🎃 Understanding Seasonal CPM Movement on Facebook Ads

Analyzing Facebook ad costs through the Halloween season reveals valuable trends for planning campaigns into November.

CPM data for October and November 2023 shows consistent increases, with October ad costs peaking during Halloween week and following a similar surge around Thanksgiving.

The buildup to these dates suggests that advertisers launching campaigns early in the season can secure lower CPM rates and better positioning, avoiding the steep price spikes that come with last-minute ad placements.

🎃 Tailoring Your Funnel Strategy for Holiday Campaigns

To maximize ad budgets, consider launching top-funnel awareness campaigns earlier in the fall. September offers the ideal window for cost-effective brand visibility before the CPM surge in October and November.

With this approach, advertisers build brand familiarity and engagement early, creating a pathway to conversion-focused strategies that align with the high-intent shopping period ahead.

👻 September Awareness: Aim for cost-effective reach through post-engagement and video ads to introduce your brand and products, positioning yourself as a go-to for holiday needs.

👻 October Engagement: As ad costs rise, gradually shift towards mid-funnel campaigns to build anticipation and guide your audience toward actionable touchpoints.

👻 November Conversions: By Thanksgiving and Cyber Five, your ad efforts should prioritize lower-funnel actions, such as Clicks and Conversion campaigns, aligning with heightened consumer buying intent.

🎃 Strike Social’s Round-the-Clock Optimization for Your Holiday Ads

Keeping pace with Halloween campaigns can be demanding, especially with the likelihood of ad costs rising as the season progresses.

At Strike Social, we offer 24/7 optimization to ensure ads are actively monitored and adjusted to perform well, even as holiday ad competition peaks.

This constant oversight helps clients mitigate cost increases, maintain effective pacing, and quickly address any issues or anomalies that arise, ensuring a seamless holiday season experience.

Message us, and let’s explore how we can enhance your advertising efforts.

🎃 Hit Your Holiday Goals with a Late-Season Boost

Whether just starting Halloween ads or gearing up for Thanksgiving and Cyber Five, late October is a great time to develop a focused strategy.

Contact us today for a personalized walkthrough of how our team can help you take advantage of this holiday season’s unique advertising challenges.

With the right blend of Halloween campaign momentum and early Thanksgiving strategy, you’re set to make the most of this bustling retail period while keeping ad costs in check.

🤝 Turn Strike Social as your in-house extension team

Strike Social is a SWAS (Software with a Service) AdTech agency partner that leverages machine learning to deliver 10-20% more efficient campaigns on YouTube, Meta, and biddable social platforms, saving agencies time and money.

🔗 Related reads:

1. How much does it cost to advertise on Facebook?
2. What is a Meta Certified Company? And Why Agencies Should Work With One?
3. Case Study: Learn How Our Data-Driven Facebook Ad Conversion Strategy Delivered a 28x ROAS
4. Meta's New Advertising Tools: A Strategic Guide & Campaign Setup For Media Buyers This Holiday Season
5. Ask The Expert: Is Meta Advantage+ Right for Your Business?

🔗 Sources:

1. Numerator : Top Halloween Products
2. NRF Foundation : Halloween Spending
3. Epsilon : 4 insights to drive your Halloween marketing plans

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