Over the past few years, Halloween’s importance to marketers has become bigger, longer and more commercially important. And as other holiday spending outside of Christmas falls off (Valentines Day being one), Halloween seemingly benefits by attracting larger and larger portions of the population.   

First, let’s look at the numbers. Halloween spending is up more than $2 billion compared to 2024, at over $13 billon with all indicators pointing to continued growth and engagement. And the economic challenges (i.e. inflation, tariffs, etc.) don’t seem to be altering people’s appetites. Per-person spending has reached a record high of $114.45, nearly $11 more than last year, and the number of people participating in Halloween activities has massively increased in the past 20 years, with roughly 5/10 adults taking part in 2005, and as of last year that number rising to 7/10.    

“Spooky Season” keeps getting longer. Decorations are up as early as the day after Labor Day. People are excited, and seek out not just seasonal goods, but also activities. There has been exponential growth in months-long pumpkin patches, hayrides, and themed events at paid parks and public spaces. The window for marketers is huge.    

Marketers that ignore or discount Halloween as simply a time to sell candy and costumes are missing out on a cultural explosion ripe for monetization and brand community building in local markets.    

There is massive room for retail / QSR marketing attractions and themed sales and giveaways, but also for brand activations to build customer loyalty and goodwill.  

A great example of that is the opportunity with limited time offers. Nothing Bundt Cakes, as an example, has been featuring LTOs like Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple. Beyond that, brands can create an emotional connection to the holiday. McDonald’s return to carrying Halloween trick or treating buckets is a great community-minded effort. They are also tapping into nostalgia as parents had that experience when they were kids.   

Additionally, there is a great opportunity for brands to tap into the cultural aspect of the holiday in their content, particularly in social media. Halloween’s content opportunity includes memes, influencer moments, user generated content (UGC) ideas, etc. A trending costume, decoration, special concoction, or theme on TikTok or Instagram can drive big waves of demand. Brands that wait until October may miss being part of the conversation.   

Statistics also show that audiences seeking out broadcast and streaming Halloween or Horror content has consistently been on the rise, especially among the desired younger demographic advertisers are desperate to corner. Gen Z leads all other generations in seeking out scary seasonal content, meaning targeted ad buying just became easier.   

Brands and marketers should be thankful for all of the treats Spooky Season has delivered them, and in turn should be looking to create as much seasonal joy for consumers as they can. They’ll be rewarded with record Sept./Oct. profits in return.