New Delhi: The Indian Celebration Quarter has long been seen as the country's peak consumption season, but is becoming a test ground for brands to experiment with new formats, platforms and consumer engagement strategies. vdo.ai released Celebration Marketing Playbook 2025changing shopper behavior, evolving media consumption habits, and exploring how a growing aspiration is affecting celebration advertising.
The study found that 81% of consumers say short video ads are the most popular, based on a survey of over 1,400 Indian shoppers. This insight highlights the advantages of visual and snackable formats, featuring online videos that are expected to play a central role in Connected TV (CTV) and celebration campaigns. The report suggests that premium audiences are increasingly drawn to interactive, shopping ad formats that combine entertainment and commercial.
The findings also show that spending intent shapes how brands design their celebration campaigns. 41% of respondents are expected to spend more than last year, with between Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000 as the priority range for nearly a third of shoppers. While 70% of consumers are open to premium purchases, Metro is expected to promote this trend, with 28% of Tier-1 shoppers exceeding Rs 30,000 and 13% exceeding Rs 50,000. In contrast, two-thirds of Tier-2 and Tier-3 shoppers are intended to keep their celebration spending below Rs 15,000, suggesting that value-added and segmented messaging remains important. The report also points out that if the celebration experience is positive, more than 60% of consumers are likely to repurchase within six months, and that a loyalty-driven strategy is needed beyond short-term sales.
Amitt Sharma, co-founder and CEO of VDO.AI, said: “Today's celebration marketing is no longer about uniform mass campaigns. What we're witnessing is about suction and rif, a small town-leading metro focusing on value, and for brands, this festive season represents more than fostering sales tensions.
Mehak Chawla, Director – VDO.AI Marketing and Growth “Our Celebration Marketing Playbook 2025 reveals that consumer attention is moving to a format where action, short videos and CTV are at the forefront. We will build a pipeline for growth in the next quarter.”
