Marketing Excuses*
DEC
29

Tuesday

December 29, 2026SEVERE

Problem

Post-holiday budget exhaustion is suppressing conversion.

Excuse

1 / 40

Everyone spent their entire discretionary budget in December.

Your ad is competing with a purchase decision that already happened.

Holidays

Also in effect on this date

The full docket. Any of these would hold up in a Monday standup.

  • America is planning outfits and regrets, not purchases.

    Holidays · in effect 12-28 to 12-31

  • Everyone is returning what marketing convinced them to buy.

    Retail Calendar · in effect 12-26 to 12-31

  • The week between Christmas and New Year's does not legally exist.

    Holidays · in effect 12-26 to 12-31

  • Q1 budgets exist in a spreadsheet that finance has not unlocked yet.

    Holidays · in effect New Year's Day (6d before through 9d after)

  • Half the country has not mentally returned from break.

    Vacation · in effect New Year's Day (6d before through 9d after)

  • QBR prep has consumed everyone who could have approved anything.

    Workweek · in effect 03-25 to 03-31, 06-25 to 06-30, 09-25 to 09-30, 12-26 to 12-31

  • A nation is holding gift cards and deciding what it actually wanted.

    Retail Calendar · in effect 12-26 to 12-31

  • Quarter-end discounts have trained every buyer to wait you out.

    Workweek · in effect 03-25 to 03-31, 06-25 to 06-30, 09-25 to 09-30, 12-26 to 12-31