Why CPG Brands Should Test (and Scale) Offline Media in Q1. Especially if You Sell on Amazon.
January, the month of media marketplace reset, presents a unique opportunity for brands. Those who grasp this shift gain a significant edge that reverberates throughout the year.
For Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands selling on Amazon, offline media — especially audio and TV — can be the most efficient growth lever in Q1.
January presents a unique opportunity for CPG brands. Ad prices fall, competition quiets, and consumers actively search for products that align perfectly with wellness, nutrition, and lifestyle brands. This is the ideal time to launch offline media campaigns.
At Retail + Response, we specialize in using offline media to drive online sales performance — and we’ve seen what happens when CPG brands test in January: more branded search, stronger click-through rates, and lasting rank momentum on Amazon.
January: where cost efficiency meets attention
After Q4’s holiday frenzy, most advertisers disappear from the airwaves. That creates a rare window — lower rates, open inventory, and higher consumer receptivity.
The ECI Media Management Q1 2025 Media Inflation Report projects offline media inflation at ~1.7%, compared with ~4.4% for digital channels (ECI Media Management).
OAAA/MAGNA forecasts show that traditional TV and radio costs in the U.S. are expected to stay flat or even decline in 2025 (OAAA/MAGNA Report).
Thinkbox identifies January as the least expensive TV month of the year — demand drops while viewing time rises, a pattern that mirrors U.S. markets.
For brands selling on Amazon, that drop in CPMs means you can buy meaningful reach at a fraction of Q4 costs, driving top-of-funnel awareness and brand recall just as consumer intent peaks.
Radio, in particular, offers unmatched value: inventory is sold at deep discounts, rapid creative turnaround, and immediate testing potential across channels, geographies, and dayparts. It's a cost-effective and efficient advertising option for CPG brands.
In January, you can afford the kind of scale that’s normally out of reach — and you’ll have the market’s full attention when you do.
Read more on how this efficiency plays out in Why Retailers Love Offline Media.
Consumers are primed for discovery and trial.
January is the ultimate “reset” month. Consumers are motivated, curious, and searching for new solutions that fit their goals.
Purdue’s Consumer Food Insights Report found that 25% of U.S. adults made food- or nutrition-related New Year’s resolutions in January 2024 — up six points year-over-year (Purdue CFI).
Weekly food spending reached $124, nearly 20% higher than early 2022 baselines (Purdue Newsroom).
Roughly 12% of all gym memberships are sold in January (IHRSA, via WCNC), signaling elevated wellness intent across categories.
Search interest for “diet,” “vitamins,” “protein,” and “hydration” peaks every January on Google Trends.
When shoppers are in exploration mode, offline media becomes the perfect awareness tool. It builds mental availability — the critical first step that makes your brand the one they remember when they’re ready to buy on Amazon.
Offline media drives online action.
Offline media isn’t just about building awareness — it's a powerful driver of measurable, digital results. When someone hears your brand on Spotify, Pandora, or local radio, then types your name into Amazon a day later, that’s not a coincidence — it’s the offline-to-online connection in action.
This behavior is the foundation of how Retail + Response works: we use offline channels to create branded demand that platforms like Amazon can recognize and reward.
Nielsen’s Audio Today Report shows that AM/FM radio reaches over 90% of U.S. adults weekly (Nielsen).
Amazon’s algorithm prioritizes brands with higher branded search volume, click-through rate, and conversion consistency — all behaviors that increase as awareness grows.
Thinkbox’s econometric analysis found that TV is the most significant long-term profit driver among all ad channels, compounding performance over time (Thinkbox, 2023).
Audio builds brand curiosity. TV builds brand conviction. Amazon measures both.
That’s why we call it “offline driving online.” It's a strategy where offline media builds memory structures that trigger direct search and purchase actions in digital environments. It fuels your top-of-funnel traffic. This approach can significantly boost your online sales and brand visibility.
Early momentum fuels algorithmic growth.
Amazon’s retail algorithm rewards momentum.
When branded searches, clicks, and conversions rise in January, the resulting data compounds into higher organic ranking, lower CPCs, and better visibility all year.
Offline media is the most scalable way to create that spark.
Starting early in the year gives you a sustained advantage. Before the crowded summer and holiday seasons return, a strong Q1 campaign sets a higher baseline for everything that follows.
Your ROAS improves, your reviews climb, and your share of cart expands.
Offline media builds the kind of durable signal that digital alone can’t replicate.
Just as offline campaigns drive retail sell-through, they build digital sell-through on Amazon — generating awareness that multiplies as your flywheel spins faster. That’s the same compounding principle we describe in Retail Success: Sell-Through Over Sell-In.
The complete funnel: offline to Amazon cart
Offline and online aren’t competing — they’re compounding.
In a modern CPG marketing mix, audio and TV create recall and build trust, and Amazon captures action.
When those channels are orchestrated, they create a full-funnel feedback loop that’s measurable and scalable, and when your message is consistent across channels, the effect is exponential. Offline storytelling feeds online performance, creating a seamless customer journey from awareness to purchase.
Key takeaways
Media costs drop sharply in January, making it the best time to test.
Consumers are in discovery mode, actively seeking new wellness, food, and lifestyle products.
Audio and TV drive Amazon searches and conversions, creating the momentum that algorithms reward.
Early lift compounds, improving organic rank and ROI through the year.
Offline-to-online synergy is the future of CPG growth — and January is the ideal place to start implementing this strategy for maximum impact.
January isn’t downtime. It’s your first algorithmic advantage.
And for CPG brands that sell on Amazon, it’s the most efficient month of the year to make your media dollars work harder — online and off. Ready to take your Q1 to the next level? Let’s Talk.