The Festive Ad Landscape in India
During September-November, Indian D2C ad costs look very different from the rest of the year:
| Metric | Normal Period | Festive Season | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta CPM | ₹80-150 | ₹150-300 | +60-100% |
| Google Search CPC | ₹8-15 | ₹15-30 | +50-100% |
| Meta CPP (cost per purchase) | ₹300-800 | ₹500-1,200 | +50-70% |
| Conversion rate | 1.5-2.5% | 2-4% | +30-60% |
| Average order value | ₹1,500-2,500 | ₹2,500-4,000 | +40-60% |
Costs go up, but so do conversion rates and AOV. The net effect: festive ROAS can be similar to non-festive periods IF you plan your budget correctly.
Phase 1: Audience Building (August 15 – September 15)
Goal: Build remarketing pools at low CPMs before the festive rush.
Meta Ads
- Budget: 20% of total festive ad spend
- Campaign type: Traffic + Engagement campaigns (cheaper than conversion campaigns)
- Creative: ‘Coming soon’ teasers, early-bird signup CTAs, product previews
- Audience: Broad targeting — let the algorithm find interested people
- KPI: Cost per landing page view under ₹5. Cost per email/WhatsApp subscriber under ₹15.
Google Ads
- Budget: 15% of total festive ad spend
- Campaign type: Display + YouTube (brand awareness at low CPM)
- Focus: Remarketing list building. Tag all website visitors.
- Also start bidding on ‘Diwali gift ideas’ and ‘[category] Diwali sale’ keywords — they’re cheap now but will spike in October.
Phase 2: Early Conversion (September 15 – October 10)
Goal: Convert early-bird buyers before CPMs peak.
- Meta: Switch to conversion campaigns. Target: site visitors, email subscribers, WhatsApp engagers from Phase 1.
- Google: Launch Shopping campaigns. Ramp up brand keyword bidding.
- Offer: ‘Diwali Early Access’ — 10-15% discount for subscribers. Creates urgency.
- Budget: 25% of total festive ad spend
- Creative: Festive-themed product shots. UGC from last year’s Diwali customers.
Phase 3: Peak Festive (October 10 – Diwali + 3 days)
Goal: Maximum conversion at peak demand.
- Meta: Maximum budget on proven creatives. Broad + retargeting. Increase budget 50-100% on winning ad sets.
- Google: Max bid on brand keywords + competitor keywords. Shopping campaigns at full budget.
- Budget: 40% of total festive ad spend (concentrated in 2-3 weeks)
- Creative rotation: Swap creatives every 3-4 days to combat frequency fatigue at high spend levels.
- Daily optimization: Review performance at noon and 8pm. Kill underperformers immediately.
Phase 4: Post-Diwali (Diwali + 4 days to + 3 weeks)
Goal: Clear inventory, retain festive buyers.
- Meta: Retarget cart abandoners and festive visitors with clearance offers (30-40% off).
- Google: Reduce brand keyword bids. Maintain Shopping campaigns at 50% budget.
- Budget: 15% of total festive ad spend
- Email/WhatsApp: ‘Thank you for shopping with us’ + next purchase incentive to convert one-time festive buyers into repeat customers.
Budget Allocation Example
| Total Festive Budget | Phase 1 (Build) | Phase 2 (Early) | Phase 3 (Peak) | Phase 4 (Post) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹1 Lakh | ₹20K | ₹25K | ₹40K | ₹15K |
| ₹3 Lakh | ₹60K | ₹75K | ₹1.2L | ₹45K |
| ₹5 Lakh | ₹1L | ₹1.25L | ₹2L | ₹75K |
| ₹10 Lakh | ₹2L | ₹2.5L | ₹4L | ₹1.5L |
Need Help With Festive Ads?
At Growww Tech, we run festive ad campaigns for Indian D2C brands — from creative production to daily optimization during peak Diwali. Start planning your festive campaign now.
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