In this edition of FestiveBrandBrief26, Ankush Vij, Co-founder and Vice President Media, Hashtag Orange, shares his perspective on the changing festive media landscape, from the growing role of retail media and creators to cross-platform integration, real-time optimisation and outcome-led measurement. Read on.
On the shifts he is seeing in festive marketing this year, particularly what brands are prioritising in their festive strategies, Vij says, “At Hashtag Orange, our festive strategy is built around helping brands capture high-intent consumer demand while creating memorable moments throughout the purchase journey.
He continues, “Rather than concentrating spends around a few peak sale days, we’re encouraging clients to adopt an always-on approach that builds consideration early, drives intent during the festive period, and sustains momentum post-purchase.
“Our focus is on audience-first planning, creator-led storytelling, retail media integration, and performance marketing powered by real-time optimisation. The objective is simple create measurable business impact by combining strong brand visibility with efficient customer acquisition and conversions,” adds Vij.
Ankush Vij on how brands are approaching festive media planning in 2026
Speaking about the mediums and platforms gaining prominence in festive media plans, the co-founder says, “We’re seeing festive media plans become significantly more integrated than before. Meta and YouTube continue to be the primary discovery platforms for building awareness and driving consideration, while Google Search captures high-intent demand during the buying phase.
The biggest challenge is rising competition for consumer attention. The solution isn’t simply spending more, it’s investing smarter: Ankush Vij
“For commerce-focused brands,” he shares, “retail media networks like Amazon Ads, Flipkart Ads, Blinkit and Instamart are becoming indispensable as consumers increasingly discover and purchase within these ecosystems.”
He continues, “Influencer marketing is no longer a standalone tactic but an integral part of the media mix, helping brands generate authentic content that improves performance across paid media. Depending on the category, Connected TV, OTT, and programmatic display further enhance reach and frequency, ensuring consistent visibility throughout the festive buying journey.”
Why cross-platform integration takes centre stage this festive season
When asked about the role and importance of cross-platform integration in brands’ festive campaigns, and how the agency is ensuring its solutions remain connected across different mediums, he says, “Cross-platform integration has become essential because consumers don’t experience brands on a single platform they move seamlessly across social media, search, OTT, e-commerce, and offline touchpoints before making a purchase.”
“Our approach,” he says, “starts with a unified audience strategy and a common creative narrative that is adapted to each platform without losing consistency. We also ensure that media planning and influencer execution work together rather than in silos. Sequential messaging, unified audience pools, consistent measurement frameworks, and first-party data help us deliver a connected consumer experience while improving campaign efficiency.”
Ankush Vij on the metrics that matter
Speaking about how the agency will measure the success of its festive marketing efforts this year, the co-founder stresses, “Success today goes far beyond impressions or reach.”
He adds, “We evaluate campaigns against clear business objectives, whether that’s incremental revenue, return on ad spend (ROAS), customer acquisition cost (CAC), qualified leads, or marketplace sales.”
Brands that combine strong storytelling with disciplined media execution are ultimately the ones that stand out during the festive season: Ankush Vij
“Equally important,” he says, “are upper-funnel metrics such as brand lift, search volume growth, video completion rates, engagement quality, and creator performance, as these indicate whether the campaign is building future demand. We also closely monitor cross-channel attribution and optimise budgets dynamically throughout the festive period to maximise overall business outcomes.”
Ankush Vij on smarter strategies for festive marketing
Finally, on the key challenges brands face while planning their festive marketing strategies and how the agency is helping them navigate these, he says, “The biggest challenge is rising competition for consumer attention. Every brand increases advertising investments during the festive period, leading to higher media costs, fragmented attention, and creative fatigue.”
“The solution,” he says, “isn’t simply spending more it’s investing smarter.” He continues, “We advise brands to start building demand before the festive rush, use data to prioritise high-value audience segments, leverage creators to produce authentic and scalable content, and continuously optimise campaigns based on real-time performance signals.”
Vij sums up by saying, “Brands that combine strong storytelling with disciplined media execution are ultimately the ones that stand out during the festive season.”
