Pinterest Urges Brands to Begin Christmas 2026 Planning

Pinterest is encouraging advertisers to start building their holiday campaigns immediately, highlighting that users on the platform begin planning purchases weeks or months in advance. With roughly 31 weeks until Christmas, the company is stressing the advantages of long-term, always-on campaigns over last-minute Q4 pushes.

Unlike many social platforms where users scroll for entertainment, Pinterest functions primarily as a discovery and planning tool. People come to save ideas, research products, and build shopping lists early. According to Pinterest’s guidance, brands that maintain a consistent presence during the planning phase are more likely to appear on shoppers’ shortlists when buying decisions are made.

Data supports the early-mover advantage. Advertisers running shopping campaigns for six months or longer see approximately 33% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) compared to those running campaigns for fewer than three months. Pinterest’s Performance+ catalog campaigns, powered by Conversions API data, also deliver around 20% lower cost per action on average.

The platform recommends allocating roughly 75% of Pinterest ad budgets to always-on initiatives. This approach allows campaigns more time to gather data, optimize targeting, and test creative variations before the highly competitive peak season. Early planning also helps secure lower costs before Q4 bidding intensifies.