Lesson 18 of 30 · 9 min
Flighting and seasonality
When money is spent changes what it buys.
Continuous, bursts, or pulses
Continuous spend keeps a brand present but can be too thin to notice. Bursts concentrate enough weight to be remembered but leave gaps. Pulsing — a continuous base with bursts at key moments — is the common compromise for brands with a year-round need and seasonal peaks.
Buy ahead of demand, not during it
Memory takes time to form, and auction prices rise when everyone bids at once. Being present shortly before a season often outperforms spending the same money at its peak, when you are paying the most for attention you should already have earned.
Match flight length to the decision cycle
A two-week flight cannot influence a purchase people consider for three months. Align the flight with how long the decision actually takes, or accept that you are only reaching the small group already at the end of it.
Plan the gaps deliberately
Going dark is a legitimate choice when the alternative is spreading too thin. What matters is that the gap is chosen and its cost understood — decay in recall and lost retargeting pools — rather than being the accidental result of the budget running out.
Takeaway
Concentrate weight where it can be noticed, arrive before the peak, and choose your dark periods deliberately.
Check yourself
No score, no signup — pick an answer to see why it's right.
Question 1
Why does spending just before a seasonal peak often beat spending during it?
Question 2
A product is considered over about three months. What does a two-week flight achieve?