Meta has already rolled out its US holiday playbook, but if APAC brands simply copy-paste global strategies, they’ll miss the moment by months.
Our shopping season starts earlier, runs longer, and revolves around mobile-first habits and mega-sale days like 9.9, 10.10, 11.11, and 12.12.
How brands and marketers can win in APAC’s shopping season:
1. Timing & Budgeting: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
- In the US: The holiday season is a sharp, late-November spike. While it seems to expand a few days each year, planning tweaks often suffice, and larger bursts are usually short-term
- APAC Reality: Plan for a series of monthly peaks from September to December, with “Doubles Days” at the centre and 11.11 as the crown jewel. It’s a sustained, competitive period — not a four-week sprint
- Do This Now:
- Plan for sustained bursts, not one-off spikes
- Keep budgets agile and apply learnings from one Doubles Day to the next
- Adjust per market, e.g. in Australia, Black Friday still kicks off the Christmas rush
2. Trust the Algorithm: Go All-In on Advantage+
- In the US: Manual tweaks work, though Meta’s adage of “Trust the algorithm” matters
- APAC Reality: Hyper-competitive sales days make manual campaign management a recipe for being outmanoeuvred. Trusting the algorithm to find the people most likely to complete your action is key to survival. One of our recent Performance Efficiency Audits showed a 24% improvement in CPA just by leveraging AI tools already available
- Do This Now:
- Ensure strong data hygiene before the 9.9 sales even begin: Clean the product catalogue, check your pixel’s hygiene, and connect Conversions API (CAPI) to accurately feed the algorithm the signals it needs to optimise and track conversions
- Then, consolidate campaigns and lean into Advantage+ Sales Campaigns (ASC) to give the algorithm flexibility and more data
3. Lead With Mobile-First, Reels-First Creative
- In the US: Repurposed TVCs are often still the go-to, although Meta’s “go mobile-first” creative advice is gaining traction, especially for clients who embrace a social-first model
- APAC Reality: Snackable, authentic 9:16 video is now expected, as platforms like TikTok Shop and Live Videos set new standards for speed and authenticity
- Do This Now:
- Adopt a modular asset strategy: Produce diverse 9:16 video content, including product demos, unboxing experiences, and quick value propositions. Think high-energy and mobile-native
- Apply “Brandformance”: Transform KOL and awareness assets into creatives designed to drive both brand engagement and performance actions through strategically layered CTA elements
- Don’t Forget Offline Channels: OOH x Social = Recall –
Sparked by a flavour debate that emerged in social media comments, VaynerMedia took over major Australian hubs through train wraps, wall posters, and even sky-writing!
Paired with paid social, this cultural phenomenon resulted in a 29% ad recall lift and trickled into a 35% increase in supermarket sales.
4. Extra Tactics to Maximise Holiday Sales
Beyond the core pillars of timing, tech, and creative, success in APAC requires a nuanced understanding of local consumer behaviours.
- Harness the Influential Power of KOLs
- The APAC Reality: A PwC survey found that 50% of Asia-Pacific consumers make regular purchases due to influencer posts, versus 41% globally. This number jumps to 75% when spotlighting Southeast Asia
- Do This Now: Leverage the consumer trust built by KOLs and the relevance created within your creative, then amplify both through targeted and retargeted audiences with Partnership Ads and CPAS
- Connect Online to Offline (O2O):
- The APAC Reality: Many shoppers in Asia and Australia still research online but purchase in-store
- Do This Now: For retail clients, ensure their store location data is up-to-date and test Omnichannel Ads to measure the true impact of our Meta spend on both digital and brick-and-mortar sales
- Don’t Forget Offline Channels: OOH x Social = Recall
- The APAC Reality: OOH may be declining in North American markets, but in APAC’s dense cities, it remains a powerhouse
- Do This Now: Pair OOH with social creative to supercharge awareness and recall. Case studies show this combination helped one retailer in Malaysia exceed sell-through rates by +37% and boosted supermarket sales +35% for a food & beverage client in Australia
Winning APAC’s holiday season isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s about quickly adapting global guidance to local behaviour. Brands that do these won’t just survive the marathon; they’ll sprint past competitors.
Practical advice from a marketer: Don’t just “set it and forget it.” Be ready to react to performance and new signals from the platforms, adjusting media plans with agility.
With the speed of AI improvements and behaviour shift toward live-commerce integration, the best formula for success may look different from 9/9 to 12/12…and even more in 2026.
Kaily Groover is Media Director for APAC at VaynerMedia.
