Q5 or Bust: How Challenger Brands Are Winning Big in the Year-End Attention Rebound

When other brands shut off the lights after December 25, a window opens for yours.

Ad inventory loosens, attention spikes, and ambitious brands step in to win share at a discount.

That moment has a name: Q5.

Q5 is Underrated

Running from December 26 through mid-January, Q5 may not be an official fiscal quarter, but performance data tells the story:

• Ad Costs Drop: Meta and programmatic CPMs decline as the year’s biggest advertisers step back.
• Intent Stays High: Consumers are still spending — Shopify data confirms strong Q5 purchase activity.
• The Mindset Shifts: Shoppers have gift cards, returns to exchange, and more time to browse. Many are open to discovering new brands.

That combination creates a rare attention rebound. While the giants go quiet, challengers have an opportunity.

Performance Trends We’re Seeing in Q5

The hardest-working brands have been treating Q5 as a high-performance season in its own right. Campaign data across categories shows:

• Lower customer acquisition costs as competition thins out.
• Retargeting and lookalikes outperforming, fueled by the heavy site traffic of Q4.
• Creative campaign usage, from win-back flows to new product launches, tapping into the fresh-start energy of early January.

How Leading Brands Build a Q5 Media Plan

The playbook isn’t about improvisation in late December. The most successful Q5 campaigns are prepped in Q4 and flipped on as the market opens up.

The common threads:

• Messaging that matches the moment. Themes like “refresh,” “replenish,” and “you-time” resonate more than holiday urgency.
• Strategic use cases. From restock pushes to resolution-ready bundles, the focus is on relevance.
• Creative primed for performance. Assets are built and approved before peak season, ensuring no lag time.

Q5 Done Right

Challenger brands treat Q5 as a growth engine rather than an afterthought.

Imagine a wellness brand launching a “Resolution Bundle” right after the holidays, aligning with consumers’ fresh-start mindset. Or an apparel brand retargeting gift card holders with early-access offers, converting one-time buyers into repeat customers. Or a DTC CPG brand leveraging lower CPMs to rapidly expand its email or SMS audience, setting up Q1 campaigns for success.

The takeaway: Q5 isn’t just a leftover window — it’s an opportunity to build momentum, test creative, and capture attention while larger competitors are off pause.

Challenger Brands Can Outperform Giants in Q5

The biggest players often power down after Christmas. Challenger brands that seize Q5 don’t just pick up short-term wins — they build momentum that carries into Q1 and beyond.

This is the window where challengers become category threats.

Let’s talk about building your Q5 strategy.