The news: Cyber Monday ad spending eclipsed Black Friday for the first time last year, per a Sensor Tower and Pathmatics analysis of spend from the “shopping” category between October 1 and December 31.

While the digital sales day brought in just $300,000 more in ad spending than its in-person counterpart, it represents a turning point in the yearslong trend and shift in strategy for targeting consumers during the highest-volume shopping period of the year.

By the numbers:

• The top six ad spenders (Amazon, Walmart, Target, Temu, Chewy, and Sephora, in descending order) only contributed 14% of the total $7.6 billion in spending, suggesting a market rife with retailers and brands trying to capture consumers.
• On the receiving end, a whopping 80% of ad spend went to five platforms: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest. That high concentration likely drives higher ad costs.

Why the shift?

• The window for holiday shopping has steadily grown larger. That means brands must spend competitively for a longer period of time. However, November and December still account for 75% of Q4 online holiday shopping; targeting shoppers on the last day of the Cyber Five helps keep brands top-of-mind even for post-event shoppers.
• Even Black Friday has become a largely digital event. More than a third (39%) of Black Friday shoppers say they will make purchases online this year, versus 32% who plan to buy in-store, per an October CivicScience report.

What it means for marketers: They may be named after specific days of the week, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now monthslong advertising events that require brands to compete fiercely for attention across platforms and ad surfaces. As even Black Friday shopping moves online, advertising with the tail end of the Cyber Five period in mind could help with both day-of sales and December shopping.