Meet the Modern, Always-On Shopper

Master holiday marketing pivots, smarter behavioral strategies, and the evolving social consumer journey in today’s insights.

October 21, 2025

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence in Leadership and Community 🎉

In today's Agency Pulse, gain insight into how:

  • Holiday 2025 success demands a pivot from outdated Black Friday tactics to omnichannel, mobile-first, and value-driven strategies.

  • Behavioral segmentation outperforms demographics by targeting intent, context, and real-time consumer actions for better ROI.

  • The circular social journey reshapes consumer behavior, requiring brands to build always-on, authentic, and community-driven experiences.

For the uninitiated: Agency Pulse is a free, biweekly newsletter designed for the innovative agency leaders of today and tomorrow. Each article featured below is penned by a member of Forbes Agency Council, a community of successful agency owners and executives on a mission to inspire.

Let’s dive in!

The New Rules Of Holiday 2025 Marketing

The holiday marketing game has changed. Shoppers aren’t waiting for Black Friday; they’re buying earlier, spreading spending across multiple channels, and expecting more than generic discounts. To win Q4 in 2025, brands must adapt quickly and strategically.

Here's what’s driving success this season:

🎯 Omnichannel Alignment: Shoppers expect a seamless experience across email, SMS, apps, and social. Keep messaging and visuals consistent everywhere.

📱 The Rise of Mobile Shopping: With over 54% of holiday transactions happening on smartphones, it's crucial to optimize mobile UX for speed and simplicity.

🛍 Social Commerce Booms: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are fully transactional. Invest in native-feeling shoppable posts and instant customer service.

Quick-win Checklist For Q4 Success

  • Fine-tune your mobile site for smooth browsing and fast checkouts.

  • Build trust via transparent pricing, shipping times, and flexible payment options.

  • Phase your messaging to target early-bird shoppers, convert in November, and power through December.

  • Retarget past site visitors with personalized messages to close the deal.

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Behavioral Segmentation: The Age Of Intent-Driven Marketing

Relying solely on demographics (like age or gender) is no longer enough in today’s data-rich landscape. People's behavior, not their birth year, tells a more powerful story.

Here’s how behavior-led segmentation can transform your marketing strategy:

🛒 Move Beyond Demographics: Age and gender don’t determine intent. Segment based on actions, like "frequent visitors" or "cart abandoners," for more relevance.

📈 Boost Accuracy With Behavior: Look at engagement intensity (e.g., clicks, visits), purchase probability, and retention indicators to create dynamic segments that evolve in real time.

❌ Avoid The Pitfalls Of Old-School Methods:

  • Wasted Ad Spend: Ads based solely on demographics miss intent-focused audiences.

  • Generic Messaging: Demographic-only campaigns can feel tired and underperform.

  • Missed Opportunities: Targeting behaviors like "evening mobile shoppers" captures value across demographics.

The New Social Funnel: Build A Continuous Consumer Journey

The consumer journey is no longer linear; it’s an endless loop influenced by discovery, purchase, and sharing on social platforms. To thrive in this "infinity loop," brands must stay present at every touchpoint.

Here are the top must-try strategies to meet consumers where they are:

🔍 Contextual Discovery: Be where consumers scroll! Use content like tutorials or influencer-led videos to feature your product naturally. Authentic recommendations (trusted by 71% of consumers, per Nielsen) drive faster trust and conversions.

💬 Conversations Over Commercials: Skip hard-sell tactics. Encourage authentic discussions, real use cases, and user participation to build credibility.

✨ Reduce Friction: Simplify the path to purchase with in-app shopping tools like TikTok Shops or clickable Instagram Reels to meet consumers seamlessly.

📸 Transparency Sells: Show proof, don’t just tell stories. Consistently share transformations, testimonials, and viral-friendly content to boost trust and familiarity.

Wrapping Up

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