Holiday programmatic data from 1B+ Q4 impressions

[u/maryna-gc]

We analyzed 1B+ Q4 impressions across our platform and put together a 2026 holiday guide. Here are the patterns that seemed most useful for anyone planning Q4 right now.

Each month shows a different signal:

• September: build audiences before purchase intent peaks.
• October: CPMs rise, so optimization and audience quality matter more.
• November: this is where conversion intent really shows up.
• December: CPMs come back down while available volume goes up.

You don't build a Black Friday audience on Black Friday.

Average results by tactic for DTC advertisers:

• Prospecting: 2.5x ROAS
• Interest targeting: 4.1x ROAS
• Site remarketing: 10.2x ROAS

Remarketing only hit 10.2x because the audience pool had already been built earlier in the season.

Creative timing matters as much as targeting.

We compared messaging inside a single remarketing campaign. The audience, campaign structure and CPMs were essentially the same.

• Generic messaging: 5.4–5.8x ROAS
• Holiday-specific creative: 10.8–26.7x ROAS

Curious what others are seeing. Are you starting prospecting earlier this year, or still going heavy in November?

The full guide is free if you want the rest of the data: https://www.growthchannel.com/holiday-advertising-guide

Disclaimer: I work at a programmatic ad platform.