As the Indian festive calendar gears up for Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi), e-commerce businesses across the country prepare for one of the most significant sales seasons of the year. For digital marketers and D2C brands, capitalizing on these festive spikes is not just an opportunity but a necessity. One of the most powerful tools to drive results during such periods is Google Performance Max.
At Digital GK, we specialize in crafting data-driven, performance-oriented digital marketing strategies. In this blog, we provide an in-depth guide on how to leverage Google Performance Max campaigns for seasonal e-commerce events like Rakhi 2025 to drive visibility, conversions, and ROI.
What is Google Performance Max and How Does It Work for Advertisers?
Performance Max (PMax) is a goal-based campaign type introduced by Google Ads that allows advertisers to access all of Google’s advertising channels from a single campaign. Essentially, PMax is designed so that you can automate all parts of the advertising process—from audience and targeting to the placement—meaning brands can focus more on strategy and creativity, and less on executing during high demand seasons such as Rakhi.
It allows you to run ads across multiple channels without the need to create separate campaigns. This not only saves time but also ensures that Google allocates your budget dynamically to the best-performing channels and audiences in real time. This includes:
- Search: Appear in Google search results when users actively look for Rakhi gifts or deals.
- Display: Show visual banner ads across millions of websites and apps in the Google Display Network.
- YouTube: Deliver video ads to users watching relevant Rakhi content or festive gift ideas.
- Gmail: Place personalized festive offers directly into users’ Gmail Promotions tab.
- Discover: Reach users scrolling through the Google Discover feed with relevant Rakhi creatives.
- Maps: Promote local store locations offering Rakhi discounts or same-day gift pickups.
Automation is the primary feature of Performance Max. It leverages the benefit of Google’s machine learning to optimize your bidding, budget, audience, creative, and placements to achieve maximum performance for your specific marketing goal.
Why Use Performance Max for Seasonal Events Like Rakhi?
Rakhi is a festival that sees a massive uptick in online shopping for gifts, jewelry, clothes, sweets, and more. Here’s why Performance Max is ideal:
- Cross-channel reach: Reach your target audience on the different Google properties. Take advantage of famous high-volume search keywords like ‘buy Rakhi online’, ‘Rakhi gifts for brother’, ‘Rakhi 2025 offers’, to increase visibility on Search, Display, Gmail and YouTube.
- AI-driven optimization: Performance Max uses real-time machine learning to optimize for your best performing assets and audience, which can help you achieve higher CTR and ROAS with keywords trends that are Rakhi related, ‘Rakhi gift hampers’, ‘personalized Rakhi gifts’, ‘the best Raksha Bandhan offers’.
- Faster scaling: Best for a high-intent, timebound festive campaign. You can also target spikes in search queries for ‘express Rakhi delivery’, ‘last-minute Rakhi gifts’, ‘Rakhi 2025 same-day offers’.
- Audience signals: You can guide Google’s AI with your own audience insights. Incorporate Rakhi-focused intent by using keyword-based signals like ‘Rakhi 2025 gifts’, ‘buy Rakhi online’, and ‘Rakhi for brother’ to accelerate campaign learning and targeting.
High-Search Volume Keywords to Target for Rakhi Campaigns
When setting up your Rakhi campaigns, include high-intent seasonal keywords. Some examples include:
- Rakhi gifts online
- Best Rakhi gifts for brother
- Rakhi gifts for sister
- Buy Rakhi online
- Rakhi gift hampers
- Raksha Bandhan special offers
- Rakhi 2025 deals
- Same-day Rakhi delivery
- Personalized Rakhi gifts
- Rakhi sale 2025
These keywords will help guide your audience signals, asset groups, and even product feeds.
Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up a Performance Max Campaign for Rakhi
Step 1: Define Your Campaign Objective
Performance Max is goal-based, so choose your objective:
- Sales
- Leads
- Website traffic
For e-commerce Rakhi campaigns, Sales is usually the most effective option.
Step 2: Set Your Budget and Bidding Strategy
- Use Maximize Conversions or Maximize Conversion Value
- Set ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) target if you have enough data
- Allocate at least 15–20% of your total monthly budget for the Rakhi period to PMax
Step 3: Create Asset Groups
Asset groups are like ad groups but richer. Each group should have:
- Headline (5) – e.g., “Buy Rakhi Gifts Online with 1-Day Delivery”
- Long Headlines (5) – e.g., “Celebrate Raksha Bandhan with Premium Gifts for Your Loved Ones”
- Descriptions (5)
- Images (3–15)
- Logos (1:1 and 4:1 ratios)
- Videos (recommended)
- Final URL
Step 4: Add Audience Signals
Audience signals help Google’s AI find the right users. For Rakhi:
- Custom segments based on Rakhi search terms
- Remarketing lists
- Existing customer lists
- Visitors from last year’s Rakhi campaign
Audience signals aren’t targeting—they’re suggestions to train the algorithm faster.
Step 5: Optimize Your Product Feed
If you’re using Performance Max with a Merchant Center feed, ensure:
- Product titles include festive keywords (e.g., “Rakhi Gift for Sister – Jewelry Box”)
- Use high-quality images
- Add seasonal promotions and discounts
- Apply product category labels like “Rakhi Gifts”
Creative Digital Marketing Strategy for Rakhi Festival Sales
Festive Visuals
Use vibrant, Rakhi-themed creatives in images and video formats. Reflect emotions like:
- Sibling love
- Nostalgia
- Gifting moments
Compelling Copy
Include urgency and celebration:
- “Only 3 Days Left for Raksha Bandhan!”
- “Celebrate Your Sibling Bond with Thoughtful Rakhi Gifts”
- “Limited Edition Rakhi Hampers Just for You”
Video Assets
Google prefers campaigns with videos. Even simple slideshows or animated gifs can work if made well.
Tips to Maximize Performance During Rakhi Season
1. Start Early
Begin campaigns 2–3 weeks before Rakhi to allow PMax enough learning time.
2. Run Flash Offers
Highlight your Rakhi sales with countdown timers on the landing page and mirror the same urgency in ad copy.
3. Leverage Merchant Promotions
Use Merchant Promotions (if you have a product feed) to display discount tags directly on ads.
4. Use Customer Match
Upload last year’s buyers list to target them again with personalized messaging.
5. Track & Optimize in Real-Time
- Monitor performance daily in the week before Rakhi
- Replace low-performing headlines, descriptions, and images
- Add negative keywords to your account to avoid wasteful traffic
Case Study: Rakhi Campaign Success Using Performance Max
One of our clients at Digital GK, a premium gifting brand, ran a Rakhi campaign using Performance Max. Here’s what we observed:
- ROAS improved by 3.2x compared to their manual shopping campaigns
- CTR increased by 65% due to richer creatives and automation
- Their sales doubled during the Rakhi period
- Customer acquisition cost dropped by 18%
This success came from combining smart audience signals, a compelling Rakhi landing page, optimized product feed, and festive creatives.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not uploading videos – limits your reach on YouTube & Discover
- Using generic asset groups for all products
- Setting unrealistic ROAS goals without data
- Ignoring feed optimization for e-commerce
- Launching campaigns too close to Rakhi day
About Digital GK – Best Digital Marketing Agency in Jaipur
Digital GK is a full service digital marketing agency dedicated to ROI-based strategy for brands across India. We cover everything from e-commerce performance marketing and Google ads to SEO, content, and social media management—we help businesses of any size scale effectively. Our team specializes in leveraging tools like Google Performance Max to make the most of high-traffic festive seasons like Rakhi, Diwali, and beyond. With a focus on data, and a deep understanding of the local market, Digital GK makes sure your campaigns don’t simply run, they perform.
Final Thoughts
Performance Max is not a “set it and forget it” solution. Performance Max does some amazing things when it’s monitored, optimized, and supported with a strong creative and product feed. As Rakhi 2025 approaches, D2C brands and e-commerce marketers must get ahead of the game, let automation do its thing, and plan to deliver relevant festive experiences to users.
If you really wish to capitalize on this Rakhi season and think you could use some expertise in the setup, optimization and creative execution, Digital GK is here to help.
FAQs
Q1: Is Performance Max suitable for small businesses during Rakhi?
Ans. Yes, even with smaller budgets, PMax can deliver excellent results if the campaign is structured well.
Q2: How long should my Rakhi PMax campaign run?
Ans. Start at least 2–3 weeks before Rakhi and run it until the festival ends to capture early and last-minute shoppers.
Q3: Can I use PMax without a product feed?
Ans. Yes, but using a Merchant Center feed improves performance for e-commerce campaigns significantly.
Q4: How many asset groups should I create?
Ans. Ideally, 3–5 based on different product categories or audience types.
Q5: What should I do after the campaign ends?
Ans. Analyze performance data, identify your best-selling products and creatives, and use these insights to improve future festive campaigns like Diwali and Christmas.