The holiday season isn’t a season anymore, it’s a “perma-peak”

If December 2025 feels like the end of a marathon you started running in October, that’s because the holiday calendar has stretched into an extended peak where promotions, discovery, and decision-making begin earlier and last longer. Brands seeing results right now are the ones who planned for a longer runway, not a single Black Friday spike, and who stayed consistent across the whole arc of shopping behaviour, from early browsing to last-minute panic buying. That “always-on, always-ready” posture is winning because shoppers are moving through more touchpoints, more screens, and more moments of hesitation than before.

Price sensitivity is high, but mindless discounting isn’t the move

What’s working in December is not “slash prices and pray.” People are watching their budgets closely, and that makes them sceptical of big, shiny promises that feel like pressure. The brands performing best are using smarter value signals: clear pricing, credible bundles, targeted offers, and messaging that respects the customer’s intelligence instead of trying to hypnotise them with a fake countdown timer. In other words, consumers still want deals, but they also want to feel safe from regret. Marketing that acknowledges economic caution and offers value without drama is converting better than loud, blanket discounting.

AI-driven shopping is growing, so “trust” has become a performance channel

December 2025 marketing isn’t only competing for attention; it’s competing for legitimacy. More shoppers are relying on AI-supported discovery and decision tools, and at the same time, retailers are leaning harder into AI to personalise and optimise experiences. That’s powerful, but it’s also fragile, because personalisation can tip from “helpful” into “creepy” very quickly. What’s working right now is transparent AI: brands being clear about what they’re doing, keeping personalisation relevant, and designing experiences that feel human even when they’re automated. The quiet winners are the brands treating trust like a feature, not a vibe.

Video, CTV, and multi-screen storytelling are driving discovery

In December 2025, discovery is increasingly happening through video ecosystems, including connected TV, with shoppers bouncing between screens as they compare, confirm, and reconsider. Brands seeing strong results are not treating video like “awareness content” and then hoping search picks up the pieces; they are building video creative that actually helps people decide. That means clearer demonstrations, stronger product context, and storylines that feel like real life rather than a glossy fantasy where nobody has ever returned a package. When attention is fragmented across devices, the creative that wins is the creative that still makes sense mid-scroll and mid-distraction.

Omnichannel is winning when it feels cohesive, not chaotic

The brands getting December right are making online and offline feel like one experience rather than two different personalities. That can look like stores designed to feel more immersive and festive, paired with digital campaigns that don’t overpromise, plus post-purchase messaging that actually reduces anxiety instead of spamming customers into silence. In practice, it’s the basics done exceptionally well: consistent offers, reliable fulfilment expectations, and customer communication that feels like help, not harassment. When shoppers are stretched thin and time-poor, the smoothest experience becomes the best marketing.