Festival Ad Strategy — Meta + Google, Diwali 2026

The Festive Ad Landscape in India

During September-November, I watch Indian D2C ad costs behave very differently from the rest of the year:

Costs go up, but so do conversion rates and AOV. Here's what I've found: festive ROAS can be similar to non-festive periods IF you plan your budget correctly.

Phase 1: Audience Building (August 15 – September 15)

Goal: My team builds remarketing pools at low CPMs before the festive rush.

Meta Ads

• Budget: I put 20% of total festive ad spend here
• Campaign type: I run Traffic + Engagement campaigns — cheaper than conversion campaigns
• Creative: My team leans on ‘Coming soon’ teasers, early-bird signup CTAs, product previews
• Audience: I keep it broad and let the algorithm find interested people
• KPI: I want cost per landing page view under ₹5, cost per email/WhatsApp subscriber under ₹15.

Google Ads

• Budget: I put 15% of total festive ad spend here
• Campaign type: I run Display + YouTube here — brand awareness at low CPM
• Focus: I build the remarketing list. My team tags every website visitor.
• I also start bidding on ‘Diwali gift ideas’ and ‘[category] Diwali sale’ keywords now — they’re cheap now but will spike in October.

Phase 2: Early Conversion (September 15 – October 10)

Goal: I'm converting early-bird buyers before CPMs peak.

• Meta: We switch to conversion campaigns, targeting site visitors, email subscribers, and WhatsApp engagers from Phase 1.
• Google: I launch Shopping campaigns and ramp up brand keyword bidding.
• Offer: I run ‘Diwali Early Access’ — 10-15% discount for subscribers. Creates urgency.
• Budget: I put 25% of total festive ad spend here
• Creative: We use festive-themed product shots and UGC from last year’s Diwali customers.

Phase 3: Peak Festive (October 10 – Diwali + 3 days)

Goal: I push for maximum conversion at peak demand.

• Meta: I put maximum budget on proven creatives — broad plus retargeting — and increase budget 50-100% on winning ad sets.
• Google: I max my bid on brand keywords plus competitor keywords, and run Shopping campaigns at full budget.
• Budget: I concentrate 40% of total festive ad spend here, in 2-3 weeks
• Creative rotation: My team swaps creatives every 3-4 days to fight frequency fatigue at high spend levels.
• Daily optimization: I review performance at noon and 8pm. My team kills underperformers immediately.

Phase 4: Post-Diwali (Diwali + 4 days to + 3 weeks)

Goal: I clear inventory and retain festive buyers.

• Meta: We retarget cart abandoners and festive visitors with clearance offers — 30-40% off.
• Google: I pull back brand keyword bids and maintain Shopping campaigns at 50% budget.
• Budget: I hold back 15% of total festive ad spend here
• Email/WhatsApp: We send ‘Thank you for shopping with us’ plus a next-purchase incentive to turn one-time festive buyers into repeat customers.

Budget Allocation Example

Need Help With Festive Ads?

At Growww Tech, we run festive ad campaigns for Indian D2C brands — from creative production to daily optimization during peak Diwali. Start planning your festive campaign now.

Related reading:

• Diwali 2026 Prep: Start 90 Days Early
• Meta Ads Complete Playbook
• Google vs Meta Budget Split Guide