It’s time. Yes, we’re talking about the C word: Christmas.
After speaking with some of our agency partners, festive planning is already well underway. Media plans are being mapped out, budgets are allocated, and Christmas campaigns are moving from “we should start thinking about that” to “we need to get this booked.”
So before autumn officially arrives and Starbucks rolls out their Pumpkin Spice Latte, now is the time to get your digital audio campaigns planned and ready – and for good reason. In the UK, Connected Radio and Music Streaming alone reach 35.42 million adults every week (RAJAR Q2 2026), and a SiriusXM study found nearly 90% of adults say they listen to audio as a shopping companion during the holiday season. Whether they’re at home, commuting, shopping or ticking off their Christmas to-do list, audio is already in their ears.
Last Christmas…
According to Adobe Digital Insights, UK shoppers spent a record £26.9 billion online during November and December 2025, up 4.1% year-on-year and marking the highest online Christmas spending period on record.
Black Friday generated £1.16 billion in sales, Cyber Weekend delivered £3.8 billion, and Boxing Day spending exceeded £500 million as consumers switched from buying gifts for others to treating themselves. The overlap between Black Friday and Christmas shopping continues to grow too, as Mintel reported that more than 70% of UK Black Friday shoppers purchased Christmas gifts during promotional events in 2025.
What’s shaping 2026?
While promotions remain important, shoppers are increasingly looking for quality, originality and convenience when choosing gifts (Mintel). Cost-conscious behaviour is still influencing purchasing decisions, but value is no longer just about price.
Trend forecasting agency Trend Bible predicts a shift towards a more meaningful and experience-led festive season. For brands, this presents a valuable creative opportunity. Consumers aren’t just shopping for products; they’re shopping for memories – and few channels are better placed to tap into those emotional moments than digital audio.
Research from Effie and System1, ‘The Secret to Profit and Trust: Audio’, found that emotionally driven campaigns generated approximately double the profit when audio formed part of the media mix. The impact was even greater when brands consistently used distinctive sonic assets over time. For brands already investing in digital audio, Christmas is the perfect moment to amplify those efforts. And for those yet to test the channel, there may be no better time to start.
So, before Mariah defrosts… influence consumers, align activity with key sales moments, and get your message into the ears that matter. So yes, it might still be summer. But ‘tis the season for campaign planning.
Make every audio penny count – with audioadpro’s granular audience curation, precision geo-targeting and consolidated measurement across all digital audio.
