When it comes to the holiday season, success isn’t just about what you show; it’s about when you show it, who you reach, and how you close the sale.
Our data from hundreds of shows across the October–December period, reveals clear behavioral patterns that can help retailers time their content perfectly, design campaigns that convert, and avoid operational bottlenecks.
This article highlights strategies from our best performing customers and is based on Enterprise Account Executive at Bambuser, Corrina Sanni’s, keynote from our Holiday 2025 webinar, which you can watch here.
1. The peak of attention comes earlier than you think
When should brands start their holiday campaigns? The answer might surprise you.
Bambuser data shows that audience viewership surges by 30% in November compared to the yearly average, making it the true peak for consumer attention. By December, viewership returns to the baseline, meaning that brands who wait until then have already missed the biggest wave.
This November spike is largely fueled by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when shoppers are not just browsing but actively hunting for deals and gift ideas.
How to act on this
- Launch early. Kick off your holiday Video Commerce campaigns in early November to ride the wave of peak attention.
- Own the big moments. Plan major live events around Black Friday and Cyber Monday to maximize visibility.
- Don’t overlook December, plan for “mini-peaks.” Our data shows smaller spikes on December 6th, 20th, and 27th, making them ideal for targeted live events around last-minute gifting or post-holiday sales.
Bottom line: November is when you capture the crowd. December is when you convert the procrastinators, and delight the deal seekers.
2. Holiday viewers are ready to spend more
Once you’ve captured your audience, the next thing is understanding their mindset. The surge in viewership isn’t just about curiosity, it’s about intent to buy.
Across verticals like Fashion and Beauty, the Average Order Value (AOV) from October through December is consistently higher than the rest of the year.
This means your holiday audience isn’t just larger, they’re more valuable. They’re coming to your Live- or Shoppable Video events looking for inspiration and deals, and they’re willing to spend more per purchase.
How to act on this
- Showcase higher-value items. Don’t shy away from premium products during holiday campaigns, this is the season when shoppers are ready to invest.
- Bundle smartly. Curate gift sets or exclusive holiday collections that increase basket size.
- Create urgency. Limited-time offers, countdowns, or exclusive Live-only deals can nudge those ready-to-buy viewers to complete the purchase.
In short: The holiday audience is primed to spend. Make sure your content and product strategy match that intent.
3. Don’t let success overwhelm you: Prepare for the holiday bottleneck
Here’s a challenge few brands anticipate: the better your campaign performs, the higher the operational pressure becomes, especially if you’re using one-to-one video shopping or digital clienteling.
Our data reveals that while the volume of one-to-one video calls increased by 9% in November, the percentage of missed calls jumped by 25%, peaking at a 142% increase on Black Friday alone.
That means, while brands were generating enormous interest, many weren’t staffed to handle it, and those missed calls likely translated into missed sales.
How to act on this
- Plan for peak demand. Forecast staffing needs for your Live Shopping, Chat and Digital Clienteling teams ahead of major sales days.
- Advertise support availability. Make sure customers know how to reach an expert either through email, SMS or video.
- Train for agility. Equip your team to handle a mix of product advice, troubleshooting, and upselling during high-traffic moments.
Every missed call is a missed opportunity. The brands that prepare operationally will be the ones that turn their attention spikes into sales spikes.
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