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Navigating Retail's Biggest Sales Season: Insights from Fospha's 2025 Peak Playbook

As the retail sector gears up for its largest sales events, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in 2025, brands are illuminated by the challenges presented in Fospha's latest report, the 2025 Peak Playbook. Retailers are bracing for significant pressure, primarily due to high tariffs and elevated financing costs eroding profit margins. The implications are clear: the time for building customer loyalty is now, as failure to do so may lead to diminished margins and lost sales during peak competition.

The Challenge of Accurate Measurement

One of the most pressing issues identified is the inadequacy of current measurement frameworks. Traditional models like Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) and Last Click attribution methods are insufficient and often misrepresent the impact of emerging channels, such as TikTok, Meta, Snapchat, and YouTube. These platforms, which are critical for full-funnel marketing strategies, receive inadequate credits due to reliance on outdated tools. Brand reliance on these metrics can skew campaign effectiveness, leading to misguided marketing investments when it matters most.

In his commentary, Sam Carter, CEO at Fospha, remarked, “Platform-reported metrics and Last Click are flawed at the best of times, but during peak, it's a chaotic environment. With a surge in online activity and purchasing intent, seeing in-platform measurement models compete for credit is common. Given the complexities of consumer behaviors spanning multiple channels, sticking to inaccurate signals can seriously undermine marketing effectiveness.”

Strategies from the 2025 Peak Playbook

Fospha's Peak Playbook 2025 serves as a roadmap for brands aiming to navigate this competitive landscape successfully. The report emphasizes a full-funnel, cross-channel measurement approach, which is essential for developing a robust customer acquisition engine during peak shopping seasons. Here are some notable insights highlighted in the playbook:

• - TikTok has gained traction as a vital source for new customer acquisition, with 50% of conversions being generated by first-time buyers. Notably, leading brands allocate 25% of their ad spend to awareness and consideration efforts before the peak.
• - Meta continues to dominate as the most significant investment channel, with advertisers reaping the benefits of features like Advantage+ automation and engaging content through Reels and creator partnerships.
• - Snapchat offers the most appealing CPM increases observed during Black Friday 2024, yet it remains an underutilized platform that shows potential for future growth.
• - YouTube and Demand Gen are showing promising overall growth, boasting year-on-year improvements in Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) by 30% and 25% respectively.
• - Performance Max and Search functionalities are thriving as fundamental components for capturing demand, showcasing significant potential for retailers prepared to tap into these channels.

The report advocates for well-structured strategies tailored for each platform to ensure optimum performance before, during, and after peak sales periods.

Final Thoughts

Preparing for 2025's Black Friday and Cyber Monday requires a rethinking of attribution strategies and marketing approaches. Brands must adapt to the evolving landscape by harnessing effective measurement tools that account for all channels. Fospha’s comprehensive guide provides invaluable support to ensure that brands can achieve unprecedented success this holiday season.

Brands interested in maximizing their potential should explore the insights in Fospha's Peak Playbook, which lays out an actionable plan to enhance marketing effectiveness during this critical period. Download the Peak Playbook 2025 Here.

Fospha is a leader in marketing measurement, utilizing a Bayesian Media Mix Model that is updated daily, enabling retail brands to comprehend the incremental impact of each channel consistently.

For more information, reach out to Snezhina Kashukeeva at [email protected].