Spring/Summer 2025 White Paper

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The spring and summer seasons of 2025 present powerful opportunities for brands to re-engage their core consumers through timely, value-driven advertising strategies. As temperatures rise, so does consumer activity—especially around outdoor leisure, travel, and personal care. However, against a backdrop of continued inflation, tariff-driven price shifts, and economic uncertainty, shoppers are becoming more selective and value-conscious.

This white paper outlines key seasonal consumption trends, provides actionable recommendations for media and messaging strategies, and highlights where brands can build meaningful connections with their target audiences—without overspending.

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I. Seasonal Consumer Spending Trends and Business Impact

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1. Warmer Weather = More Spending Momentum

Historically, spring and summer unlock significant spending activity across multiple categories. Spring events like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and graduation season serve as critical buying triggers across beauty, apparel, and gifting categories.
In the U.S., consumer spending typically rises by 10–15% during warmer months, particularly in travel, apparel, home improvement, auto repair, and food and beverage sectors. For example.

• In 2024, total U.S. travel spending reached approximately $1.3 trillion, marking a 13% increase over the previous year.
• Domestic travel spending accounted for the majority, with Americans spending over $900 billion on leisure travel alone. Outdoor recreational equipment sales grew an average of 30% between March and August.

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2. Drop in Foreign Travel to the U.S. Puts Pressure on Domestic Businesses

Despite strong domestic performance, international tourism to the U.S. faced challenges in Q1 2025:

• Decline in International Arrivals: March 2025 saw an 11.6% drop in international visitors compared to the previous year.
• Revised Forecasts: Tourism Economics adjusted its 2025 forecast from a projected 9% growth to a 9.4% decline in international arrivals, citing political tensions and tariff policies as primary deterrents.

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3. The Return of Affordable Luxuries

‍With inflation still top-of-mind, consumers are leaning into what McKinsey refers to as “selective splurging”—seeking small indulgences in health, beauty, food, and experiences. Health and personal care spending increased 7.1% in 2024, while many brands report higher engagement on promotions that bundle value with experience (e.g., summer beauty boxes, outdoor entertaining kits).

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4. Value-Driven Purchasing & Local Preference

‍Barclays’ 2024 consumer report shows that over 60% of shoppers intend to buy more locally made goods in response to price volatility caused by global tariffs. This trend favors brands that emphasize local sourcing, sustainability, and community ties in their messaging.

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II. Economic Headwinds & Emerging Consumer Behaviors

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1. Tarriff-Driven Stockpiling

‍A growing subset of U.S. consumers are engaging in “doom buying”—stocking up on goods like pantry staples and household items in anticipation of price hikes from international trade tensions. This is a timely opportunity for CPG and household brands to win loyalty with value packs and ‘buy more, save more’ messaging.

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2. The Rise of the Secondhand Economy

‍Affordability and sustainability have fueled a massive uptick in resale shopping. Platforms like ThredUp, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace continue to grow, particularly among Gen Z and millennial consumers. According to Statista, the U.S. secondhand market is projected to reach $70 billion by 2027.

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3. Experience Still Wins

‍Despite economic caution, consumers still crave shared, in-person experiences. But they’re more selective, opting for local, affordable events and brands that create memorable moments without high costs. Emotional ROI is replacing material ROI in many consumer decisions.

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III. Strategic Recommendations for Advertisers

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1. Lead With Seasonal Relevance

‍Build campaigns around seasonal rituals—spring cleaning, summer road trips, BBQs, graduation, travel prep—to tap into emotional triggers. Use calendar-based targeting to sync promotions with key spending windows.

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2. Emphasize Value Without Compromising Brand

‍Today’s consumers want quality and value. Messaging should highlight smart choices and practical benefits (durability, multi-use, savings over time) rather than heavy discounting alone. Limited-time bundles, loyalty rewards, and “everyday luxury” framing all work well.

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3. Tap Into Live Sports & Affordable Experiences

‍Warmer months bring a spike in community-based activities. Minor league baseball games draw over 40 million fans annually in the U.S., offering strong family-oriented reach at low cost. Outdoor concerts, festivals, and street fairs—often priced under $50—also attract large, diverse audiences.
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Advertising strategies should include:

• Local partnerships and sponsorships
• Branded activations with sampling and QR-driven engagement
• Location-based media targeting (geofencing around events or venues)

These touchpoints offer high dwell time, emotional relevance, and social sharing potential—all essential for brand recall.

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4. Leverage Digital to Drive Physical

‍With so much consumer decision-making starting online, marketers should use social platforms, influencer content, and mobile-first ads to build anticipation for in-store or in-person experiences. Shoppable content, retargeted offers, and mobile countdowns work especially well in event- or season-based campaigns.

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5. Acknowledge the Resale Economy

‍Position products with longevity in mind—durable, well-designed, and worthy of reuse or resale. For example, highlighting the “afterlife value” of goods (e.g., “Buy it, love it, resell it”) helps align with sustainability values and economic sensibilities.

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6. Optimize Media Mix Based on Consumption Trends

‍Understanding current media consumption habits is crucial for effective advertising.

• Digital Media Dominance: U.S. consumers are projected to spend nearly eight hours daily on digital media in 2025, with digital video consumption reaching approximately 3.5 hours per day.
• Social Media as a News Source: Over 54% of U.S. adults get their news from social platforms—Facebook and YouTube being the most popular.
• CTV (Connected TV) Growth: Streaming platforms like Roku and Amazon Fire TV are capturing more ad inventory, with CTV ad spend in the U.S. projected to hit $43 billion in 2025.
• Gen Z Media Behavior: Gen Z spends 6.6 hours daily consuming content and nearly $100 monthly on subscriptions.

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Recommended Tasks

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• Invest in short-form video on TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and programmatic.
• Allocate budget to CTV for high-impact storytelling in living rooms.
• Combine influencer partnerships with paid media to increase reach and trust.
• Use first-party data and geo-targeting to improve personalization and conversion.

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Conclusion

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Spring and summer 2025 are seasons of opportunity—if approached with precision. Brands that speak with authenticity to emotion and economics will be best positioned to connect. Whether through nostalgic summer moments, local community events, or thoughtful value offerings, the key is to meet consumers where they are: outside, optimistic, and ready to buy—if the offer feels right.

Smart advertisers will lean into:

• Seasonal emotional triggers
• Affordable experiences and indulgences
• Strategic digital-to-physical alignment
• Clear expressions of value and quality

With the right mix of data, creativity, and timing, these months can be the engine for year-round growth.