It’s still the dog days of summer, but that hasn’t stopped many brands from thinking about the holidays — and for good reason. Black Friday isn’t a weekend anymore. It’s a multi-week sales event that rewards the brands that move first. And the window to do that is narrowing fast.
To understand how early movers are preparing for Black Friday, Tatari asked a diverse mix of retail marketers and DTC advertisers, including Bylt, Tecovas, Manscaped and Bearbottom Clothing, about their holiday planning, creative strategy and media mix heading into the biggest sales weekend of the year.
As the holiday season approaches, one common thread emerged among the retail brands Tatari surveyed: They’re moving earlier, measuring more rigorously and treating TV as a performance channel that needs to earn every dollar. Here are the top five findings from Tatari’s survey and the lessons brands and retailers can apply to their own holiday strategies.
Ad budgets are growing heading into Black Friday, especially for TV. Nearly six in 10 advertisers told Tatari they will increase their Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) TV spend in 2026 compared to 2025.
In fact, the percentage of advertisers who said they’re planning a significant increase in their BFCM TV ad budget jumped from 16% last year to 22% this year. That doesn’t just indicate that more brands are investing in TV. It shows that existing advertisers are increasing their commitments with greater conviction.
