The holiday season remains the most competitive time of year for marketers. In 2024, U.S. consumers spent $38 billion online across Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone, with mobile driving over 70 percent of those sales. Yet the reality is that not every shopper looks the same. Reaching the right audience at the right moment is what separates brands that win from those that blend into the noise. That’s why audience segmentation is critical.
According to McKinsey, companies that excel at consumer segmentation see up to 10 percent higher revenue growth than those that do not. By understanding unique shopper behaviors, brands can cut through the noise, deliver relevant messaging, and avoid wasted ad spend.
That’s where Data Axle’s custom digital audiences come in. Built on multi-source verified data, AI-driven insights, and privacy-compliant processes, these audiences allow brands to target with precision across programmatic, social, and CTV campaigns. Let’s look at some of the most valuable segments for 2025 holiday campaigns and why they matter.
Belts are tightening in 2025, with 27 percent of U.S. shoppers planning to spend less than last year. Bargain hunters and specialty shoppers are intentional about where they spend, seeking deals in wholesale clubs, organic markets, catalogs, and online. This audience is especially critical during Black Friday and Cyber Monday because they actively hunt for the best deals and often respond strongly to flash discounts.
Best practice: Use dynamic creative optimization (DCO) to tailor offers by channel. Push coupons and promotions through email and mobile, and retarget with CTV to keep your brand top of mind during peak shopping weekends.
Parents with elementary-aged children make up a vital segment, especially during holiday seasons. 25 percent of holiday shoppers are families buying gifts for kids, according to YouGov research. Outdated or inaccurate data often leads to wasted ad spend on households without this demographic. Precision targeting ensures your campaigns reach parents preparing for toy, apparel, and electronics shopping.
Best practice: Pair your campaign with messaging about holiday joy and family moments. Combine CTV with email during evening hours to reach parents when most receptive.
CTV accounted for over 44.8 percent of total TV viewing time in May 2025, exceeding broadcast and cable. Teens remain influential co-shoppers in households. This audience segment is optimized for TV campaigns to engage teens and the parents who watch with them, especially critical during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when TV is a primary channel for holiday discovery.
Best practice: Run family-friendly creative on CTV, then extend reach across social to hit teen platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Focus on tech, apparel, and entertainment products that appeal to both generations.
Homes with graduating seniors are ripe for messaging about milestone celebrations and transition gifts. These households often spend substantially during the holidays preparing for the next chapter. 49 percent of consumers plan to cut back on nonessential purchases this season, meaning families marking key milestones are more likely to splurge on celebration-worthy items.
Best practice: Use direct mail and programmatic display to highlight customizable graduation bundles, personalized gifts, and celebratory experiences. Build emotional resonance into your creative.
Consumers spending over $500 annually on kids’ toys represent a high-value return on ad spend. They are prime targets during holiday events—Cyber Monday often features up to $13.2 billion in sales, with consumers spending $15.7 million per minute at peak hour.
Best practice: Leverage lookalike targeting to find more high-value toy purchasers. Focus on premium, educational, and trending toys in mobile and CTV campaigns to maximize conversions.
21 percent of parents say they are likely to buy whatever their children want, even if it is outside their budget. Those influenced by kid preferences are quick to act during holiday deals – as 60 percent of consumers start browsing for holiday deals in October or early November.
Best practice: Build ad creative around parental narratives and emotional connection. Use influencers and social campaigns featuring kids requesting must-have items to drive authenticity and urgency.
Amazon holiday sales continue to dominate, with both high-end and budget shoppers represented. Black Friday online sales hit $10.8 billion in 2024, a 10.2 percent increase year-over-year DemandSage. Targeting shoppers of luxury items or budget deals ensures you reach serious buyers on the biggest shopping platforms.
Best practice: Customize messaging—premium visuals for luxury purchasers; urgency and bundling for budget shoppers. Tailored deals in CTV and social feed capture both segments effectively.
Streaming is now the primary channel for TV consumption—one report shows 73.6 percent of total TV viewing time is ad-supported streaming in Q2 2025 MNTN. Smart tech users are early adopters who respond to innovative ad formats and convenience.
Best practice: Use interactive CTV ads for streamers and voice-activated promotions for smart speaker audiences, backed by companion mobile touchpoints.
The holiday season is not a one-size-fits-all event. Precision targeting unlocks efficiency by eliminating wasted impressions and ensuring your message resonates with the consumers most likely to engage and convert. With consumer habits evolving rapidly, marketers who combine audience intelligence with creative activation will gain the edge.
At Data Axle, we help brands connect with high-intent audiences using offline PII, advanced AI, and rigorous data verification processes. That means smarter targeting, better personalization, and stronger outcomes.
Download the full Holiday Marketing Mastery Guide.
As Content Marketing Manager, Natasia is responsible for helping strategize, produce and execute Data Axle's content. With a passion for writing and an enthusiasm for data management and technology, Natasia creates content that is designed to deliver nuggets of wisdom to help brands and individuals elevate their data governance policies. A native New Yorker, when Natasia is not at work she can be found enjoying New York’s food scene, at one of NYC’s many museums, or at one of the city’s many parks with her two teacup yorkies.