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Every marketer knows the adrenaline rush of Q4. The mad dash to hit revenue goals, the surge in CPMs, the constant tweaking of campaigns to squeeze every drop out of the holiday rush. It’s a blur of urgency and opportunity—a sprint that often ends with exhausted teams and inflated ad costs.
But right after the holiday chaos fades, something interesting happens. While most brands take a collective nap and turn off their campaigns, consumers don’t stop buying. In fact, they lean in.
Welcome to Q5—the secret season between December 26 and early January that smart advertisers quietly use to outperform the competition at a fraction of the cost.
What Exactly Is Q5?
Q5 isn’t an official quarter on any fiscal calendar, but it might as well be for digital marketers. It’s that sweet spot right after Christmas when the wrapping paper has been trashed, but the shopping impulse hasn’t disappeared.
During this window, people are still in the mood to browse, click, and buy. They’re redeeming gift cards, shopping post-holiday sales, and finally treating themselves to the items they didn’t find under the tree. It’s a high-intent audience that’s already primed to spend—but the field has suddenly thinned out.
That’s what makes Q5 special.
- Media costs drop. Once the holiday frenzy subsides, CPMs take a nosedive. Reddit data shows January eCPMs are typically down 28%, the most efficient of any month.
- Consumers stay active. Gift cards, promotions, and post-holiday deals keep audiences browsing and buying well into the new year.
- Competition disappears. Many big brands pause their campaigns after Christmas, leaving wide-open ad inventory for anyone bold enough to stay in the game.
If you’ve ever wished you could buy the same high-quality impressions from November for half the price, this is your window.
Why Reddit (and Platforms Like It) Thrive in Q5
Reddit is a perfect case study for why Q5 matters. It’s a platform built around curiosity, conversation, and deal-sharing—the exact behaviors that spike between Christmas and New Year’s.
According to Reddit’s internal data:
- 1 in 2 holiday shoppers on Reddit look for sales, promotions, and deals from brands before making a purchase.
- 31% wait specifically for items to go on sale before they buy.
Combine that with lower ad costs and a community that thrives on discovery, and you’ve got a marketplace tailor-made for post-holiday commerce.
In Q5, Redditors are swapping stories about how to stretch a gift card, uncover hidden discounts, and maximize every dollar. It’s like an always-on version of Black Friday chatter—only with less chaos and far more intent.
For brands that understand how to speak the language of value, that’s gold.
The Psychology Behind the Q5 Shopper
Think about where consumers’ heads are between Christmas and New Year’s. They’re not “done.” They’re in a different phase—less about frantic gifting and more about personal indulgence and reset.
- “What did I miss?” Many are buying the things they wanted but didn’t get.
- “What’s next for me?” Others are leaning into self-improvement—new hobbies, fitness gear, planners, courses, or travel.
- “Where can I get a deal?” Everyone loves feeling like they beat the system by snagging discounts after the rush.
This mindset is powerful because it’s self-directed. Instead of buying for others, they’re buying for themselves. And with fewer advertisers vying for attention, the path from impression to conversion is much smoother.
Why Most Brands Miss It
Let’s be honest—by mid-December, most marketing teams are running on fumes. Budgets are spent, dashboards are maxed out, and the next thing on everyone’s mind is vacation. So when December 26 rolls around, campaigns go dark.
But here’s the irony: the same pause that gives teams relief also gives competitors an edge.
When fewer brands are bidding for ad space, your impressions go further. Your click-through rates improve. Your cost per acquisition shrinks. Even a modest spend can outperform what you spent triple on a month earlier.
In other words, while everyone else is coasting, you’re collecting.
How to Win in Q5
Reddit’s research points to a few strategies that drive outsized results—not just on their platform, but anywhere this mindset applies.
- Extend Your Season
Instead of shutting down campaigns on December 24, keep them running into January.
Brands that extended their campaigns to 60+ days saw 5.8x higher lift than those that cut things off at 45 days or less.
The logic is simple: momentum matters. Keep feeding it.
- Refine Your Targeting
This is not the time for broad, spray-and-pray campaigns. Tighten your audience around keywords, behaviors, and interests that match post-holiday intent.
Campaigns using keyword targeting saw 2.5x higher lift than those without. That’s because these buyers know exactly what they’re searching for—you just need to meet them halfway.
- Diversify Your Creative Formats
Don’t just run a single static ad and call it a day.
Campaigns using three or more creatives drove 64% higher lift than those using fewer. Try carousels, videos, or free-form ads to show different angles, highlight product benefits, or stack offers.
If your creative looks like everything else in their feed, it’s invisible. Make it scroll-stopping.
- Showcase More, Not Less
People in Q5 have time to browse—and curiosity to match. Reddit found that carousels and free-form ads drive the strongest lift because they give users something to explore.
Show them options. Show them stories. Show them why your brand still matters after December 25.
Reframe Q5 as an Annual Strategy, Not an Afterthought
The idea of “Q5” isn’t just a Reddit thing—it’s a mindset shift. It’s about realizing that the calendar doesn’t dictate consumer intent; emotion does. And post-holiday emotion is full of potential: relief, reflection, and readiness for what’s next.
When brands show up in that gap—when they respect where people actually are instead of where the fiscal calendar says they should be—they build trust and capture market share that lasts well beyond January.
As planning for 2026 ramps up, smart marketers will build Q5 into their annual rhythm, not treat it as a lucky accident. The data is clear: lower costs, higher intent, and less competition are a rare combination.
So if you’re serious about growth, Q5 isn’t a footnote. It’s your bonus quarter.
While most advertisers are packing up their dashboards for the year, the savviest ones are quietly scooping up cheap impressions, meaningful engagement, and loyal customers.
Q5 is the calm after the storm—but for those who see it clearly, it’s also the most profitable week of the year.
So when everyone else hits pause, don’t. Hit publish.