Pinterest Encourages Brands to Start Holiday Campaigns Earlier

Pinterest is encouraging advertisers to begin their holiday marketing campaigns earlier this year, arguing that a longer planning and optimisation period can improve campaign performance during the peak shopping season.

In new guidance for marketers, the platform said its users begin planning festive purchases and seasonal activities as early as September. Because many consumers use Pinterest to research gift ideas, recipes, home décor and holiday events well before making purchases, the company believes brands that launch campaigns earlier are better positioned to influence buying decisions.

According to Pinterest, an “always-on” marketing approach can help advertisers remain visible throughout the customer journey rather than concentrating activity during the busiest weeks of November and December. The platform argues that extending campaigns over a longer period allows brands to refine creative, targeting and budget allocation before competition for consumer attention intensifies in the fourth quarter.

As part of its recommendations, Pinterest advises advertisers to ensure product catalogues and shopping feeds are fully updated ahead of the holiday season and to establish clear performance metrics before campaigns go live. The company also encourages brands to use earlier seasonal events, including back-to-school and Halloween, as testing opportunities to identify the creative formats and messaging that resonate most with their audiences.

Artificial intelligence also features prominently in Pinterest’s latest guidance. The platform highlighted its Performance+ advertising solution, which uses automation and AI to streamline campaign creation, optimise delivery and scale successful ads. Pinterest said recent improvements to the system delivered a 28% increase in return on ad spend (ROAS) during testing among small and medium-sized businesses using Performance+ campaigns with ROAS bidding.

Another recommendation is to continue advertising beyond the traditional holiday period. Pinterest said 55% of its weekly users continue shopping during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, suggesting that marketers may benefit from extending campaigns into the post-Christmas period rather than ending activity immediately after the holidays.