2026 is a year where digital transformation further shifts consumer behaviours. Emerging technologies make the landscape of consumer promotions evolve rapidly. Trade and B2B marketers, or HR/channel leaders, must understand what trends are dominating the year to ensure promotions remain effective and engaging to customers.
Here’s what you can expect in 2026, which will help you determine the course of your business’s marketing plan.
Cricket Events
2026 is full-packed with cricket events. There’ll be IPL, ICC Champions Trophy, and Women’s IPL, extending over the course of six months.
Cricket is one of the most important events in India. It garners a lot of attention from many fans and supporters. These events also get a lot of exposure online. With betting platforms like Dafabet live dealer and sports betting sites are crowded with sports bettors and casino players. They can be one of the biggest platforms that multiple industries can use for advertising.
Cricket fans from anywhere can watch a cricket game anywhere they are. However, they’re not only watching, but they’re also very active when online, and the ads that are intercepted in between live streams have been proven to be more effective. Not only do sporting seasons, especially a popular one like cricket, drive viewing, but they also increase active demands to brands.
During the 2025 season, a study had shown that 86% of audiences who are exposed to online ads put on cricket matches are more likely to search for the item in the ads right after seeing them. It’s a digital era where most people have easy access to information; the only thing you need to do is take advantage of the opportunity.
Festive Seasons
Online marketplaces thrive during festive seasons. The 2024 festive sales performance highlights the scale of opportunity for brands:
| Metric | Festive Season 2024 |
| Total Sales (1 week) | $6.5 billion |
| Year-on-year growth | 26% increase |
| Top Categories | Electronics, mobile phones, home goods, consumer durables, general merchandise |
| Key Platforms | Amazon India, Flipkart |
These numbers will keep on increasing. More people are exposed to the internet, accessibility increases, and people get more adept and used to digital life. E-commerce giants like Amazon India and Flipkart are among the biggest when it comes to festive sales.
Great Indian Festival and Big Billion Days will be two of the biggest opportunities for brands to gain more exposure. One of the driving forces is that Flipkart Plus and Amazon Prime allow loyalty program members to gain early access.
Amazon India has never failed to witness a hike in customer demand during festive seasons, especially for electronics. Meesho’s Mega Blockbuster Sale is another successful example.
Planning a 2026 Event-Based Promotions Strategy
Strategic planning is the key to a successful promotion. For major events, there are a few things that companies should prepare before making a promotion.
- Building a marketing calendar early: Map out events that matter to the company’s niche, including geography, vertical, and customer-based. Choose 10-15 events that align with your market.
- Plan budget waves: Avoid flat spending. Allocate higher budgets, weeks leading up to the targeted events.
- Segment by intent: Treat each event as a different customer pool, and adjust accordingly.
- Prepare in advance: Promotions and creatives shouldn’t be rushed. Prepare each event-specific landing page, promo codes, and assets ready in weeks before the event for testing and optimisation.
- Track event-specific KPIs: Monitor how each event produces results. See which event has the best data to use the next year.
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