Every marketer wants to know where to place the next best dollar. That’s where EMR Power Rankings come in, providing a snapshot of how channels stack up against one another. But the rankings only matter if they’re anchored in strategy. Before scanning the list, it’s worth stepping back to ask:
- What is the role of media? What shifts in consumer behavior are we aiming to drive, and how can media support?
- What is the role of each channel or platform in delivering that vision? How can we lean on the nuances of the channel and consumer usage to maximize impact?
With those questions in mind, the rankings become more than numbers on a page. They become a lens for smarter investment, helping teams connect channel-level investment to a broader strategy designed to influence business goals.
The Role of Video and Programmatic During Holiday
During Holiday, brands are competing in a compressed, cluttered environment where attention and intent shift quickly. The goal? Move shoppers from passive browsing to intentional shopping by sparking earlier discovery and then building urgency as key moments approach. And, meet consumers consistently across screens and channels to drive recall, while moving beyond price-led messaging to reinforce emotional connection, trust, and clear brand differentiation.
Video plays the role of emotional primer and storyteller. It builds resonance through rich creative, showcases brand and product narratives, and establishes mental availability so that when urgency rises, your audience is ready to act. By keeping messaging cohesive as people move from TV and streaming to mobile and social, video helps memories “stack,” increasing recall and consideration at decision-making moments.
Programmatic media translates that interest into action. With precision targeting, dynamic creative, and real-time personalization, programmatic can connect the right message to the right person at the right moment, nudging from consideration to conversion. It can reflect live signals such as inventory, offers, or browsing behavior, and optimize frequency and sequencing to reduce waste while maximizing incremental outcomes.
Together, video and programmatic amplify one another. Video drives awareness and consideration with immersive storytelling; buying it programmatically ensures data, targeting, and measurement are fully connected so every dollar is working smarter. The result is a full-funnel system that builds brand and emotion early, maintains consistent presence through peak weeks, and converts intent efficiently when it matters most.
Maximizing Impact with Video and Programmatic Channels
Let’s dig deeper. Your holiday media mix should work as one system—build emotion early, stay present across screens, and convert when intent spikes. We’re illustrating how Audio Streaming, Display, YouTube, OLV, CTV, Display Retargeting, OOH, and Linear TV each contribute at key shopping moments.
Audio Streaming
During the holidays, people are constantly on the move—cooking, driving, shopping—and audio streaming travels with them, making it an efficient way to reach multitaskers when screens aren’t available.
Use audio to stay top of mind and reinforce brand recall alongside visual channels. Keep messages short, personable, and conversational, with a clear next step.
Listening peaks during travel and downtime; lean in before and during key shopping weekends when attention is highest.
Display Brand Awareness
Overall Ranking: #6 | Brick and Mortar Movers Ranking: #1
Display is a reliable way to build early-season reach as people browse and gather ideas. Aim for effective reach and frequency to keep your brand visible as shoppers move between inspiration and research.
Keep creative simple, bold, and tailored to the screen your customer is using. Use motion or clear offer cues, and balance broad reach with smart audience or contextual targeting to stay relevant.
YouTube
Overall Ranking: #9 | Brand Builders Ranking: #4
YouTube is where consumers learn, compare, and get inspired—from gift guides to product reviews—making it ideal for driving awareness and consideration. Use sequential storytelling to move shoppers from inspiration to action with cohesive creative and clear next steps.
Mix formats to maximize impact: 6-second bumpers to build frequency, skippable in-stream for efficient reach, and longer-form content for deeper storytelling. Plan ahead: Q4 inventory and premium placements fill quickly.
Online Video (OLV)
Overall Ranking: #11 | Brick and Mortar Movers: #4
Online video (OLV) meets consumers in their daily scroll with quick, digestible visuals across premium publishers and social video placements. Use it to reinforce offers and product messages and to connect upper-funnel storytelling to mid-funnel action.
Keep it short and impactful: lead with your brand and key message in the first seconds, design for sound-off viewing (captions/supers), and align timing with your biggest promotional moments.
Connected Television (CTV)
Overall Ranking: #13 | New Customer Converters Ranking: #2 | Brand Builders Ranking: #3
CTV viewership surges during the holidays as families settle in for seasonal content, making it a prime, lean-back environment for immersive brand storytelling.
Use CTV to drive awareness and credibility while tapping audience and household data for precise targeting and efficient reach.
Pair with digital video or display retargeting to complete the journey and capture conversions. Reserve inventory early—competition is fierce in Q4.
Display Retargeting
Display retargeting closes the loop once shoppers start engaging—reminding them of what they’ve viewed, wishlisted, or added to cart.
Use dynamic creative and smart frequency caps to personalize the nudge without overwhelming, sequencing from simple reminders to stronger offers based on intent signals.
Lean into holiday urgency: rotate countdowns, limited-time promotions, and back-in-stock cues to drive the final push.
Out-Of-Home (OOH)
OOH reaches people during heightened holiday travel, shopping, and social events—showing up in realworld moments when purchase decisions are forming.
Use OOH as a reinforcement channel to boost brand presence and build awareness ahead of online activations and promotions.
Leverage digital OOH for contextual agility: countdowns, localized offers, dayparting, or weather triggers. Frontload flights early in the season when movement is highest, and align placements to high-traffic retail corridors and transit hubs.
Linear TV (LTV)
Overall Ranking: #17 | Brick and Mortar Movers Ranking: #2 | Brand Builders Ranking: #2
Linear TV still delivers unmatched reach, especially during holiday family co-viewing, making it the ideal stage for big, emotional stories that build brand warmth and trust.
Coordinate timing with digital channels to sustain momentum and manage frequency holistically, keeping creative consistent and sequenced across screens.
Plan for Q4 cost pressure—GRPs come at a premium—so prioritize high-impact flights around tentpole moments and monitor reach efficiency.
Linear TV still delivers unmatched reach, especially for family co-viewing moments during the holidays.
Crush Your Video and Programmatic Media Strategy This Holiday
With this video and programmatic media handbook as your guide, it’s time to crush your media strategy this season. Want additional support from our integrated media experts? Contact our team or learn more about our media capabilities.
