Unwrapping Performance: The Advertising Holiday Playbook

Holiday 2026 is shaping up to be the first truly AI-powered shopping season. Shoppers are planning earlier, comparing more carefully, and using AI to brainstorm gifts, validate choices, and find the best deals.

To win, brands need to show up with the right shoppers, in the right moments, across search, AI assistants, and emerging agentic experiences.

Microsoft Advertising’s Holiday Playbook helps marketers prepare for this new season of discovery, consideration, and conversion.

You’ll learn how to:

• Get ready for AI-powered shopping: Make your brand, products, and feeds easier for shoppers and AI systems to find, understand, and recommend.
• Build demand before peak season: Use audience, creative, and consideration strategies to influence shoppers earlier in the journey.
• Convert intent when it matters most: Strengthen measurement, bidding, promotions, and campaign coverage to maximize performance during the biggest shopping moments.

Holiday performance starts before peak season. This guide gives you the phased plan and readiness checklist to build visibility early, convert demand when it matters, and make your products easier for shoppers and AI to find, understand, and recommend.

Ready to unwrap holiday performance?