Q1 Advertising Tips + Predictions

The first quarter sets the tone for the entire advertising year. Budgets reset, strategies and marketing plans are reworked, and brands have the most funding and power to ensure they establish early momentum before competition begins to intensify. 

While Q1 is sometimes regarded as the “slow period” due to the post-holiday chaos, especially when compared to the hustling and bustling Q4, it is actually one of the most valuable and strategic windows for advertisers who plan intentionally, especially when it involves out-of-home (OOH) advertising.

Here is exactly how brands can maximize Q1 advertising and what to expect as the year kicks off.

Q1 Advertising Tips

1. Take Advantage of Lower Competition

Q1 typically sees less crowding and congestion in advertising than Q4, especially in OOH. Many brands are still figuring out where their ad or marketing dollars are going and can be groggy from the holiday noise, meaning that there are opportunities for better placements, availability, and an overall stronger return on investment (ROI).

2. Focus on Setting the Brand Foundation

Q1 is not just about immediate consumer conversions; it’s a great period to set a foundation for building awareness, recall, and trust—three things OOH performs exceptionally well at. These factors compound over time for brands, so brands that invest early in visibility are ahead of the game and set to see stronger performance later in the year.

3. Use Q1 as a Testing Ground

With lower pressure and competition, Q1 is a perfect testing ground for brand experimentation and marketing scrappiness. Brands can try out new audience segments, formats, or creative approaches in OOH; all of which can be boiled down into valuable insights and analytics that can be used to really drive true performance in Q2, Q3, and onward.

Q1 Advertising Predictions

1. Earlier Media Planning Will Become Normal

More and more advertisers are locking in OOH inventory earlier than ever, even for spring and summer campaigns. Q1 will continue to be a heavy planning, reconnaissance, and analysis quarter, but we can expect brands to secure placements well ahead of the peak seasons. This ensures valuable formats remain available. This trend aligns with retailers and products; as the seasons shift, we see stores rolling out seasonal items up to three months ahead of the next season. Advertisers are now keeping up with the demand and pace of this new commerce landscape.

2. OOH Will Play a Bigger Role

Brands are increasingly recognizing the importance of OOH in the full marketing mix, especially after seeing heavy digital ad focus falling flat in long-term campaigns and strategies. In Q1, expect more advertisers to use OOH as a top-of-funnel growth driver that boosts brand presence and improves traffic and sales throughout the year.

3. More Creative Simplicity

Heavy and overly complex digital noise is muddying the advertising waters. In 2025, we saw brands run OOH campaigns with attractive imagery and just a few words; and that was all that was needed to create a mysterious, interesting, and buzz-worthy campaign. Advertisers are going back to the basics, and that’s to OOH formats and platforms that stand tall and garner monumental visibility while remaining affordable. It doesn’t take 50,000 monthly digital ad dollars to make a splash; all one needs is a perfectly timed OOH placement to hit it big.

Concluding on Q1

Q1 may not generate the loudest advertising moments or drive the most success for brands (depending on their product or service category and seasonality), but it is surely one of the most important quarters for strategy, analysis, and setting the game plan for the remainder of the year. 

Advertisers are securing their placement earlier and earlier. If you’re looking to make a splash with OOH, you’d better start securing now, too!.