Why is it important to focus on events in your target market?
A quirk of the human experience is the importance that we attach to shared experiences. Whether these are cultural traditions, like Christmas, or major sporting events, like Super Bowl Sunday, they all have meaning. In the lead-up to these events, people are often in a similar state of mind and have shared thoughts, feelings, and pain points that brands can tap into to start a conversation.
This isn’t as simple as just slapping a holiday theme all over your marketing materials. While adopting the colors of a holiday can be a part of your marketing strategy, it’s important to build a story and message about how your brand connects with the specific event. Perhaps the most famous example of this being done well is when Coca-Cola used clever imagery to make Santa Claus a key component of their brand during the Christmas period.
How brands can effectively link their identity to an event
While every marketing event is different, there are some simple rules that you can follow to set your campaign off on the right track.
Start early.
Don’t just dive into an event the day before it starts. Plan your campaigns to begin with a lead time of a few weeks to two months, and build a pipeline of content that matches the growing energy and anticipation associated with a major marketing event.
Build a coherent story.
If you want to associate your brand with a specific event, it can help to build a story about why the two go hand in hand. This is easier for sales events like Black Friday, but if your brand lacks a tangible connection, creativity is key. A compelling story will set a great foundation for your campaign.
Take advantage of promotions.
Promotions are a powerful tool that can tie your brand to an event for years to come. For example, you could run your Black Friday event by building a coherent campaign that sparks excitement and hooks customers with the lure of great deals.
Understand your target geography.
This is a key point. If you primarily target Latin America, you might not want to lean into Super Bowl Sunday, but you’d certainly want to make sure your strategy includes the locally popular Copa América (American Cup).
Set your calendar.
Using a shared marketing calendar will ensure that your team is on the same page about the next big event that you should be preparing for.
With these basic tips in mind, let’s take a look at some of the marketing events in 2025.
The most important marketing events in 2025
Our team has selected some of the most important marketing events in 2025, and broken them down by quarter and region.
Quarter 1, 2025
United States
5 January, The Golden Globes
On 5 January, the 82nd Golden Globe Awards will be presented in California. The three-hour-long event honors actors from film and television, and it was watched by 27 M people in 2024. This is a great opportunity to associate your brand with the glitz and glamor of the film industry.
2 February, The 67th Annual Grammy Awards
Our next big event is another cultural icon—the Grammy Awards, also known as the Grammys, are the first big music awards of the year. If your brand has a special connection with a specific artist who is nominated, this is the moment to highlight them.
9 February, Super Bowl LIX
With over 123.7 M viewers in 2024, Super Bowl LVIII was the most watched telecast in U.S. television history, when the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs faced off for the title. Take advantage of all those eyeballs to make some truly iconic ads.
6 to 11 February, New York Fashion Week
Moving back to culture, New York Fashion Week is a big opportunity for clothing brands to stand out. While high fashion might be a little more avant-garde than high street, there’s no reason why you can’t use the event as an opportunity to strut your brand's stuff.
14 February, Valentine's Day
This global phenomenon is a huge milestone for February. Couples around the world exchange gifts, declare their love, and enjoy a romantic dinner for two. Whether you’re offering high-end jewelry or amazing takeout, Valentine’s Day is a big sales opportunity.
16 February, NBA All-Star Game
Another flagship sports event, this time in basketball. The NBA All-Star Game is a dream line-up featuring 24 of the NBA league’s top players. The event marks the high point of the NBA All-Star weekend and is an unmissable opportunity for sports fans and marketers alike.
2 March, The 97th Academy Awards (Oscars)
Now we come to the big one, the Oscars. We’ll see who the academy has decided to overlook this year and which of our favorite films will take home the golden statuette. The Oscars are a unique cultural event that is watched the world over—it’s an excellent moment for marketers to connect with cinephile customers.
7 to 15 March, South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festival
This event brings together creative talent from across the tech, film, music, education, and culture industries. The annual event features everything from music and comedy showcases to world-class art exhibitions, tech competitions, and networking opportunities. If you’re attending, it’s a great chance to connect with prospects in person, but also an opportunity to connect your brand to the city of Austin through a major marketing event.
25 to 27 March, Shoptalk
Shoptalk is where thousands of retail changemakers come together every year to create the future of retail. Some of the biggest names will be there in Las Vegas. Ecommerce marketers will find this event particularly useful, since they will get an early look at the narratives that will shape the retail industry over the coming year.
Europe
Late January to Mid-March, The Six Nations 2025
The Six Nations is the flagship rugby event for Europe, or at least for the six countries that compete in it, anyway. It’s a chance for marketers to connect with the UK & Ireland markets, as well as with France and Italy. Rugby might not have the same wide reach as football, but its fans are just as engaged, and you shouldn’t overlook the Six Nations.
Fashion Week—”The Big Four”
New York—6 to 11 February & 11 to 16 September, 2025
London—20 to 24 February & 18 to 22 September, 2025
Milan—25 February to 3 March & 23 to 29 September, 2025
Paris—3 to 11 March & 29 September to 7 October, 2025
We mentioned it earlier, but Fashion Week is technically a global affair that kicks off in New York and then travels across Europe, with stops in the glitzy cities of London and Milan, before culminating in the capital of Fashion: Paris. The event is followed globally and offers plenty of opportunities for brands to connect with fashion-conscious customers.
4 to 6 March, ITB Berlin
The ITB conference is the biggest travel industry event of the year. It’s a great opportunity for marketers to connect with travel companies and learn more about the latest trends in travel. This year’s event will cover everything from business travel to responsible tourism. This is also a chance for marketers to get a better understanding of the themes that will connect with travelers and demonstrate some thought leadership.
11 to 12 March, D3 Con
This Hamburg-based conference is majorly important for anyone interested in digital marketing. The event bills itself as the world’s largest conference on programmatic advertising and is packed with speakers who are leading minds in this arena. If you’re involved in the world of advertising, this is one to put in your calendar.
11 to 13 March, One to One Monaco
One to One Monaco is a landmark networking event in one of Europe’s classiest cities. It gathers over 2,000 attendees for three days of business meetings and high-level networking moments. A clever marketing strategy can help your company lay the groundwork before attending and empower the sales & exec teams to do what they do best on the ground.
Quarter 2, 2025
United States
10 to 13 April and 17 to 20 April, Coachella
“See you in the desert” is an iconic line associated with the Coachella music festival, which takes place in Indio, California, in the Colorado desert. It is one of the world's largest and most popular music festivals, featuring famous established artists and some new up-and-coming ones.
21 April, Easter Monday
Chocolate eggs, rabbits, and the hope of Spring. The first big holiday of the year marks a hugely important marketing event in 2025. Average per-person spending in the U.S. for Easter 2024 was $177.06. This is a great moment to bring customers to your brand and make your product part of their Easter celebrations.
5 May, The MET Gala
The Met Gala is considered “fashion's biggest night out.” It is a charity event that raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and marks the opening of the museum’s annual fashion exhibit. The glitzy event often raises eight-figure sums for the museum. This year’s event will celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
16 to 18 May, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC)
In mid-May, the United States' biggest electronic music festival will land in Las Vegas. The festival is beloved for its interactive art installations, carnival rides, and iconic glow-in-the-dark environments.
24 to 26 May, Memorial Day Sales
Taking place on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day in the U.S. is an important day on which to honor fallen military personnel. It’s also a federal holiday and a great chance to jump on some steep price cuts from some of the largest electronics and home & garden retailers. Deals often start springing up as early as May 1st. Yes, consumers have come to expect large discounts, but offering such deals can be a great way to kickstart the journey towards long-term brand loyalty.
8 to 12 June, Cisco Live, San Diego
Cisco Live is another major technology conference. It’s held in San Diego (8 to 12 June, 2025), Melbourne (10 to 13 November, 2025), and Amsterdam (9 to 13 February, 2026). It’s an opportunity for marketers to acquire new skills and network with some of the top talent in their industry.
Europe
31 March to 4 April, Hannover Messe
The Hannover Messe is not exactly a marketing event, but it is an important conference for industry and development. It boasts around 6,500 exhibitors and has over 200,000 visitors annually. It’s an opportunity for marketers with a focus on the industry and development sectors to make connections.
6 to 7 May, OMR
The OMR (or Online Marketing Rockstars) festival and conference should be highlighted in every marketing events calendar. The event takes place in Hamburg and is among the largest digital marketing and technology events, combining a two-day exhibition with a two-day conference. It’s a dream opportunity for marketers to take the pulse of their industry and make lasting professional connections.
9 May to 1 June, Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia kicks off the European cycling season. This event takes place across Italy, and it is a great moment to connect with any of your customers who happen to be cycling fans.
10 May, Biennale di Venezia
Often called the “Olympics of the Art World,” the Biennale di Venezia is a landmark cultural event. The event brings together artists from around the world and is an opportunity for art lovers to engage with some of the best contemporary art in existence. While it begins on 10 May, the Biennale di Venezia will run until 23 November.
13 to 24 May, Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival is a landmark event for everyone interested in film and cinema. Rather than rewarding the best films of the previous year, like the Oscars, Cannes is all about celebrating and showcasing what movie fans have to look forward to. The event is exclusive and difficult for the average person to attend, but it’s a chance to connect with customers who love films and are looking for what to watch next year.
15 to 16 May, Netcomm Forum
If you’re looking for a major digital and ecommerce retail event, then look no further than the Netcomm Forum in Milan. It’s an important event for Italian marketers, who have an opportunity to connect with leaders in the ecommerce space, get a feel for what the industry is concerned about, and see how they can offer solutions to those challenges.
17 May, Eurovision Song Contest Final
Eurovision is a staple of the European cultural calendar. The event brings together the best bands Europe has to offer and has them compete for the votes of viewers across the continent. In 2024, Eurovision had a record-breaking television audience of 163 M. The results announcements are almost as fun to watch as the acts themselves. This year, the contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland.
20 to 24 May, Chelsea Flower Show (London)
The Chelsea Flower Show is a celebration of all things garden. It combines breathtaking displays of horticultural talent with garden design, live music, and even the chance to catch a glimpse of the royal family. It is a brilliant moment for home & garden brands to associate themselves with one of the most prestigious events in the world.
25 May to 8 June, The French Open
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is a key date on every tennis fan’s calendar. What makes it special? The French Open is the only Grand Slam event that’s held on a clay surface. In 2024, the tournament broke records with 675,080 fans in attendance.
17 to 21 June, Royal Ascot
The sound of hooves hammering down the iconic racecourse is a sign that you might be close to one of Britain’s most iconic social events: The Royal Ascot. Despite competition from Euro 2024, the event reached a peak of 1 M viewers last year.
30 June to 13 July, Wimbledon
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and it’s certainly one of the most famous. In 2024, TV viewers peaked at 11.3 M and online streams at 4.1 M. It’s a unique opportunity for brands to connect with tennis fans and tap into one of the sport’s most iconic competitions.
Quarter 3, 2025
United States
4 July, Independence Day
Independence Day is a time for fireworks, BBQs, and connecting with friends and family. It’s also a great moment for brands to tap into the positive patriotic enthusiasm permeating the American nation. Promotions that highlight the success of America are likely to land well, and it’s a strong opportunity for marketers.
23 July, Amazon Prime Day
Now this is a big one. Amazon Prime Day is a massive sales event where Prime members get to grab some pretty amazing deals. The challenge, for marketers at least, is that Prime Day might be difficult to take advantage of if you or your clients are not actively selling on the platform. However, people will still be in deal-seeking mode, and you might be able to use that spirit to tempt them to purchase from your platform instead.
24 August to 7 September, US Open
The final big Grand Slam event in the tennis lover’s calendar. The event averages around one million viewers and showcases some of the world's top tennis talent. It’s another brilliant marketing event in 2025 that can be used to help brands connect with their sportier customers.
1 September, Labor Day
Often referred to as the “unofficial end of Summer,” Labor Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Labor Day weekend is a key sales period. Marketers should keep this in mind as they plan their September strategies.
Europe
1 to 3 July, MAD//Fest
MAD//Fest is one of the biggest marketing events in 2025. All tickets sold out in 2024 as participants enjoyed pitches, networking opportunities, food, drinks, parties, and some incredible DJs. The same is set to be true for 2025 as the event gears up in London. It should certainly be in every marketing calendar for 2025.
5 July to 27 July, Tour de France
Another must-watch sporting event, this time for cycling fans. The Tour de France is an annual multi-stage bike race that sees competitors racing through all of France. It’s pretty much the perfect marketing event in 2025 for brands that focus on outdoor sportswear, particularly if they stock anything cycling-related.
1 to 25 August, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Every year, for three weeks in August, Edinburgh becomes a center of arts and culture. In 2024, 125,000 visitors were in attendance. Artists and performers from around the world gather to showcase their talents in every discipline, from theater to comedy. The images are always striking, and there are plenty of opportunities for brands to make meaningful connections with art lovers.
23 August to 14 September, Vuelta a España
Another key event for cycling enthusiasts, the Vuelta a España sees top cyclists racing across Spain for three weeks over a 21-stage course. The event is slightly longer than the Tour de France.
24 to 25 August, Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is a massive celebration of Caribbean and Black culture in the United Kingdom and attracts around 2 M people every year. The colorful and joyful event is a wellspring of positivity that any brand can be proud to make part of their marketing strategy.
27 August to 6 September, The Venice Film Festival
The annual film festival is the oldest in the world and one of the “Big Five” international film festivals, making it one of the world’s most popular film events. Screenings take place in the historical Palazzo Del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi.
9 to 12 September, IIA Mobility
Taking place in Munich, IIA Mobility is a great chance for marketers focused on the automotive industry to connect with their clients. The event showcases all kinds of personal vehicles and could help you network and learn more about what customers will be looking for in the near future.
17 to 18 September, DMEXCO
DMEXCO—Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference—is a 2025 marketing event that should be on everyone’s calendars. The event takes place in Cologne, but it is possible to attend online. DMEXCO is popular as it connects key players in the marketing space together, and its keynotes are a good opportunity to learn more about where the digital marketing space is headed.
Quarter 4, 2025
United States
31 October, Halloween
Spooky skeletons and ghosts are out and about on this holiday. Halloween is an iconic cultural event, particularly in the United States, and an opportunity to connect with customers in a lighthearted way.
27 November, Thanksgiving
This cozy family time is traditionally spent eating large quantities of delicious food and lounging on the sofa watching sports. Accordingly, there’s a boost in food & beverage sales, and with so much downtime, it’s natural that people take out their phones and hop online. In fact, 72% of Thanksgiving online sales came via mobile. In the U.S, 2024 sales amounted to $6.1 B, up from $5.6 B the previous year.
28 November, Black Friday
This is a big one. Black Friday 2024 was record-breaking, with global online sales reaching $74.4 B. Marketers need to carefully plan how to approach this event, and the groundwork should be laid well in advance—a carefully executed plan can really pay dividends as shoppers are on the hunt for good deals.
1 December, Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday comes just after Black Friday, and this isn’t a bad thing. The online sales for Cyber Monday are even stronger. In fact, in 2024, it became the biggest online sales day in U.S. history with $13.3 B generated, $0.9 B more than in 2023. You can often use the momentum built over Black Friday to propel you into a successful Cyber Monday, making the best of both marketing events in 2025.
25 December, Christmas
This is the last big event on our list for the United States. Christmas is a major sales period and a big event for marketers. You get to have fun with your ads and lean into some of the silliness and warmth of the Christmas period. You shouldn’t be afraid to start early, as many people will be looking for deals well in advance of December.
Europe
10 to 13 November, Websummit
A conference based in Lisbon that brings together 70,000 members of the tech industry. It’s a great event for networking, particularly if you’re interested in learning where MarTech is headed over the next year.
24 to 25 November, Tech for Retail
An important European trade show in Paris that focuses on technological innovations for physical retail and ecommerce. Some of the latest digital tools for marketers will be on display, and some of the industry’s leading minds will be in attendance. It’s definitely one to watch, even if you can’t attend.
28 November to 1 December, Black Friday and Cyber Monday
European markets also have these events, but you will need to make sure that you tailor your efforts toward local platforms that might be more popular with shoppers in specific regions or countries.
Are you ready to get your marketing strategy laid out for 2025?
Planning is half the battle, but you also need to work with a team that can execute those plans. That’s where RTB House comes in. We use our Deep Learning-powered algorithms to optimize your retargeting strategy, whatever the event. This helps you reach out to new customers and could help ensure that you make the most of the potential offered by 2025.
Do you want to learn more? Contact our team today.
