If you’re waiting until November to start thinking about your holiday marketing, Pinterest has a message for you: you’re probably already late.
Pinterest recently released its 2026 Holiday Marketing Playbook, and the biggest takeaway is simple: holiday shoppers are planning much earlier than you might expect.
According to Pinterest, holiday activity on the platform can begin spiking as early as September. Shoppers are already creating gift lists, saving recipes, planning parties and researching products long before they’re ready to make a purchase.
That means marketers shouldn’t treat the holidays as a short November-and-December campaign. Instead, Pinterest recommends showing up early, testing creative before the holiday rush and staying present throughout the entire shopping journey.
So, What Should Marketers Do?
Start planning now.
Use September and October to test holiday-related content, build audiences and figure out what resonates before competition and advertising costs ramp up. Then, launch your full holiday campaign as early as possible between September and November, using what you’ve learned to guide your strategy.
And don’t forget about the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Pinterest calls this period “Q5,” and shoppers are still actively spending during it.
The lesson? Don’t wait for the holiday rush to start marketing for the holidays. The brands that show up while customers are still planning have a better chance of becoming part of the decision, not just competing for the final purchase.
If holiday marketing is on your Q4 to-do list, consider this your sign to move it to the top.
Need help implementing new marketing strategies? Check out our services at Ramper Creative!
