Spending on social media ads jumps up to 841% during Black Friday and Christmas weeks, according to survey

Digital consumption in Brazil remains highly concentrated around major retail dates. A survey by Portão 3 (P3), a corporate management and payments platform, shows that the weeks of Black Friday and Christmas saw weekly transaction spikes of up to 84% compared to the average of other weeks in the year, reinforcing how the promotional calendar still dictates the pace of national e-commerce.

During Black Friday, the transaction volume was 78% higher than the average level in October. In the Christmas period, the growth reached 84% compared to the average of the second half of the year. The absolute peak occurred on December 20th, with R$ 4.7 million transacted, more than double the highest daily volume recorded in the same period of the previous year.

The concentration of consumption within a few weeks highlights a purchasing behavior increasingly driven by discounts and high-impact campaigns. Rather than a continuous consumption journey, there is a compression of demand, with consumers waiting for specific dates to make significant purchases. This dynamic reinforces the importance of promotional strategies and the need for companies to achieve operational efficiency to handle intense transaction peaks.

The data also details how investments in digital media are distributed across platforms: Google/YouTube leads with 63.6% of transactions, accounting for 50% of the total financial volume (R$137.9 million). Meanwhile, Meta (Facebook/Instagram) holds 27.1% of transactions and 41.4% of the total invested, demonstrating significant financial weight.

TikTok is showing growth, accounting for 9.6% of transactions but only 5.2% of the volume, reflecting a lower average ticket size and solidifying its role as a complementary channel for awareness and performance. Kwai, although representing just 0.12% of transactions, accounts for 4.6% of the volume, suggesting high-value unit campaigns. Niche platforms like Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X remain marginal, collectively contributing less than 1% of both transactions and volume, but they may represent specific opportunities for diversifying B2B and branding campaigns.

The impact for companies is twofold: on one hand, the opportunity to maximize revenue over short periods; on the other, the challenge of maintaining financial and logistical infrastructure capable of handling the sudden surge in payment and order volumes. “Black Friday has ceased to be just a peak and has become part of the planning process. People are anticipating their Christmas shopping, taking advantage of discounts, and preparing for the consumption peak. Digitally, this translates into more predictable cash flow and more efficient media campaigns,” explains Eduarda Camargo, CGO of fintech.
 

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