2025’s Most Popular Promotions (So Far!)

As we reach the halfway point of the year, the most popular promotions are showing a clear pattern: simplicity, speed, and value continue to drive success. From cashback campaigns to free gifts and bundle offers, the trends emerging in 2025 reveal what truly resonates with consumers and how brands can adapt to stay ahead.

At Benamic, we’ve supported thousands of promotional campaigns across industries, from consumer electronics and appliances to gaming, wellness, and B2B tech. And while every brand has its own goals, we’re spotting some clear trends. Among the most popular promotions, certain mechanics are winning broad appeal, while others are evolving in smarter, more customer-focused ways.

As brands continue to navigate a competitive global market, certain types of promotions are emerging as the most effective ways to engage customers and drive results. While each region has its nuances, three promotional mechanics are consistently standing out for their adaptability, strong performance, and alignment with evolving consumer behaviours. These insights are backed not only by industry research and global trends, but also by real campaign data from our own 2025 State of Promotions Report. 

Consumers are increasingly drawn to promotions that are straightforward, fast to redeem, and immediately rewarding. hat’s why cashback and instant savings continue to dominate as two of the most popular promotions globally.

Key Stats: Why Cashback Is Growing

• The global cashback app market reached USD 4.14 billion in 2025, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 7.2% through 2034, highlighting its continued momentum as a go-to incentive format. 

• In Europe alone, the cashback market is thriving, supported by hundreds of platforms catering to value-driven shoppers. However, the region isn’t the largest by volume. However, its digital maturity and regulatory trust make it a key growth driver, especially in Germany, France, and the Nordics.
  

How Brands Are Using It:

Cashback works best when it’s built into the brand experience, through owned channels like websites or apps, making it easy to redeem and easier to measure. Additionally, we’re also seeing more brands use tiered cashback to encourage higher spending or reward loyal customers. 

Sneak peek: According to our 2025 State of Promotions Report, cashback remains the most widely used and consistently high-performing promotion mechanic this year. Download the full report.

Why it’s gaining popularity: 

In response to shifting consumer expectations, many brands are adding value through paired gifts or product bundles instead of discounting products directly. It’s no surprise this mechanic ranks among the most popular promotions across beauty, wellness, and tech brands. It works best when the items feel thoughtful or relevant to the customer’s lifestyle.

• The experience gifting market, which covers workshops, trials, and exclusive access, was valued at USD 118 billion in 2023 and is projected to rise to USD 171.5 billion by 2029. This highlights how audiences are gravitating toward value-added experiences over simple discounts.

Insights:

The most effective bundles go beyond convenience; they add context and purpose. Bundles tied to life moments (like “work-from-home” setups) or lifestyle (like a “wellness starter kit”) help brands connect emotionally and encourage customers to buy more than they originally intended. They also provide an opportunity to test new products with lower risk. 

Report Highlight: Bundle and gift-with-purchase campaigns are the second most deployed promotion type globally this year, especially in beauty, wellness, and technology brands. Download the full report.

Customers now expect to have a say in how they’re rewarded. In many cases, letting them choose between options like cashback, a gift, or a donation is proving more effective than fixed incentives. As a result, it builds stronger loyalty.

Why Choice Is Driving Loyalty in 2025

• In 2025, 43% of loyalty marketers cite gamification and flexible rewards as key to customer engagement . 

• Analysts at Forrester expect personalised loyalty programs to become standard practice, with early adopters already seeing higher retention and repeat purchases. 

Insights: Moreover, offering personalised rewards isn’t just good for engagement, but it’s a smart way to learn what your customers actually value. Brands are using this data to shape future campaigns, product decisions, and messaging that speaks more directly to their audience. 

With so many promotion types gaining traction in 2025, it can be tempting to simply follow the trend. But the real challenge lies in understanding which mechanics actually suit your audience, market, and goals. That’s why we’ve outlined a few practical steps. They’ll help you move from trend-watching to strategic planning — and turn insights into campaigns that deliver real results.

Promotions don’t perform the same everywhere. In the U.S. and APAC, cashback remains a top performer, driven by strong adoption of reward apps. In EMEA, we’re seeing increased use of gift bundles and value-added offers, especially in sectors like beauty and consumer tech. Meanwhile, loyalty programs are evolving. Customers now expect personalised rewards and more choice, not just points or discounts.

Top Countries Leading the Way in Promotional Campaigns

Get the full picture in our 2025 State of Promotions Report. Download now. 

A promotion only works if it makes sense for the people you’re trying to reach. That means going beyond broad trends and focusing on what your audience actually values, whether that’s saving money, trying something new, or supporting a cause. 

Equally important, it means staying true to your brand. We’re seeing digital-first brands use incentives to drive app adoption and collect first-party data. Others are tying rewards to local impact, offering donations instead of discounts, or exclusive content instead of physical gifts. 

When a promotion aligns with both your audience and brand story, it becomes more than a tactic. It becomes part of the experience.

Digital incentives, like prepaid e-gift cards, digital wallets, or brand vouchers, are highly effective for brands looking to engage mobile-first audiences. In other words, they’re fast to deliver, easy to track, and ideal for building a clearer picture of customer behaviour through real-time data. 

Why Reward Choice Makes a Difference

One of the biggest advantages? Choice. When customers can select their own reward, whether it’s a Spotify subscription, Just Eat credit, or an Amazon voucher, they’re more likely to redeem, and more likely to remember your brand positively. That’s why digital incentives are especially effective in loyalty campaigns, app promotions, and product launches.

You can read more about how our digital vouchers work here.

The first half of 2025 has made one thing clear: timely, relevant, and well-executed promotions aren’t just driving engagement, they’re also shaping long-term customer relationships.

Whether you’re planning your next campaign or rethinking your broader promotional strategy, the trends we’re seeing, from cashback to personalised rewards, clearly highlight the importance of adapting to what your audience actually values.

If you’re working in consumer electronics, home appliances, or any fast-moving industry, then having the right data at your fingertips is critical. That’s exactly why we created the 2025 State of Promotions Report, it’s built on real campaign performance from brands around the world, and it’s designed to help marketers make smarter decisions, faster.

So, want to plan with confidence?
Download the 2025 State of Promotions Report for regional trends, campaign benchmarks, and practical insights into the most popular promotions driving results this year. Download.