Better marketing underlined for brands navigating holiday growth amid woes

Despite ongoing global economic uncertainties, retail sales during the upcoming holiday season in North America are expected to maintain growth, unlocking fresh opportunities for Chinese brands expanding overseas, new research has found.

The findings, released by The Trade Desk, a global advertising technology firm based in Ventura, California, revealed that emerging consumer trends for this year's holiday shopping season include earlier preparation efforts, heightened value consciousness, a more sophisticated decision-making process and more cross-platform shopping.

In this context, how Chinese brands strike the right balance between short-term conversions and long-term brand building has become the core focus of this year's holiday marketing. Brands can invest in a premium internet omnichannel strategy centered on connected TV.

"The holiday season has always been the most important growth window for Chinese brands going global. Amid global economic uncertainties and the increasing fragmentation of media consumption, this holiday season is accompanied by both challenges and significant opportunities," said Ashley Wu, senior director of business development at The Trade Desk in China.

"The 2025 holiday season will continue to show an overall growth trend, which bodes well for Chinese brands expanding overseas. Chinese brands need to maintain visibility and adopt a premium internet omnichannel strategy centered on connected TV to capture holiday growth while building the brand power required for long-term success," Wu said.

As the holiday season kicks off, brands' communication strategies need to incorporate more emotional resonance, highlighting festive emotional elements such as sharing, gifting and treating oneself, The Trade Desk said.

Although Thanksgiving and Christmas are 28 days apart this year — slightly longer than last year's 26 days — consumers are starting their preparations earlier.

In the United States, 50 percent of consumers plan to finish most of their holiday shopping before Black Friday, and this shift reflects a global increase in rational, value-driven consumer behavior, The Trade Desk found.

"Given the short time span, we recommend that Chinese brands proactively capture consumers' minds in advance to gain the leverage needed to unleash their brand influence," Wu said.

A survey that polled 500 consumers in the United Kingdom and 500 consumers in Germany earlier this year found that more than 80 percent of UK and German shoppers said price weighs more heavily in their decision-making.

Among the surveyed respondents, 43 percent of shoppers in the UK and 56 percent in Germany are considering reducing their purchases from US companies — opening the door for more Chinese brands, The Trade Desk said.

Meanwhile, US holiday retail sales this year are projected to grow by just 1.2 percent year-on-year, the slowest growth rate since 2009, intensifying competition to an unprecedented level. Brands with stronger equity are better positioned to stand out, and this year presents both a challenge and a pivotal opportunity for brands to build enduring brand power, said eMarketer, a market research company based in New York City.

In addition, The Trade Desk found that during this holiday season, overseas consumers will interact with over 2,000 digital content sites and platforms daily. While online channels dominate their shopping journeys, 80 percent of consumers still intend to visit brick-and-mortar stores, and offline channels are gaining increasing importance for Chinese brands.

Chinese brands — including charger maker Anker, headphone brand AfterShokz, and drone manufacturer DJI — have significantly expanded their overseas presence through brick-and-mortar stores. AfterShokz has established counters in airports worldwide, while Anker and DJI have also expanded their reach extensively in offline stores and supermarkets across Europe, the US and other regions.

"In the face of uncertainties in the external environment, Chinese brands expanding overseas should focus on building a trustworthy brand with a long-term commitment. As brand equity strengthens, not only will the long-term sales driven by this equity continue to grow, but the short-term effectiveness of each of their marketing campaigns will also be amplified," Wu said.