From 11.11 to Christmas, Southeast Asia runs one sale after another, and it is easy to treat them as one long blur. They are not. Each has its own date, its own shopper mindset and its own best creator content. Here is your 2026 SEA sales calendar at a glance, with when to brief your creators for each one.
The SEA sales calendar, sale by sale
11.11 (Wed 11 Nov). It started in China as Singles’ Day and became the region’s biggest online sale day. Shoppers arrive with a list, so the brands that win are on it weeks before. Brief hauls, unboxings and wish-list posts by mid-October. For the full checklist, see our 11.11 influencer marketing plan.
Black Friday (Fri 27 Nov). The moment many shoppers wait for when the purchase is bigger. Brief creator picks, early access and honest reviews that help shoppers justify a bigger purchase, by late October.
Cyber Monday (Mon 30 Nov). The last-chance moment of the same campaign, three days later. Add one reminder post or a “still available” Story to the Black Friday brief rather than planning a separate campaign.
12.12 (Sat 12 Dec). The last mega-sale of the year, with Christmas in mind. A trusted recommendation persuades more than a price-led post: gift guides and “favourites of the year” work best. Brief by early November, ideally with your best 11.11 creators.
Christmas (Fri 25 Dec). Close enough to 12.12 that one content arc covers both, moving from “mega-sale pick” to “gift idea”. Brief by early to mid-November.
Same sale, different markets
A Milieu Insight study published in September 2026 (3,008 shoppers in six markets) found that only 34% of shoppers in the region still look forward to mega-sales every year, but the range is wide: 63% in the Philippines against just 17% in Singapore, where 40% only shop the sales when they genuinely need something. Indonesia (58%) and the Philippines (56%) are also the most likely to say they are now much more careful with spending, against 25% in Singapore. So brief creators market by market, not with one regional script.
If you are reading this after mid-October, use creators you already know for 11.11 and put your new outreach into 12.12 and Christmas. For the full planning process, from choosing creators to boosting and measurement, see our holiday influencer marketing guide.
Planning your Q4 creator campaigns?
Planning creators around the SEA sales calendar this year? Get in touch with us and tell us your market and your goal.
FAQ
Is Black Friday worth it for brands in Southeast Asia?
Yes, especially for bigger purchases and categories where shoppers compare before they buy. Treat it as part of the same campaign as 11.11 and 12.12 rather than a separate push: creators who already have your product for 11.11 can follow up with Black Friday picks and reviews at little extra cost.
Should we run campaigns through Cyber Monday and 12.12?
Cyber Monday costs little if you already run Black Friday content: one extra post or Story in the same brief. For 12.12, gifting categories such as beauty, fashion and homeware are a natural fit for gift guides.
How early should we brief creators?
Mid-October for 11.11 and late October for Black Friday. Creators who get a brief less than two weeks before a sale rarely have time to genuinely use the product, and the content shows it.
