The trends influencing Black Friday marketing
There was a time when Black Friday predominantly unfolded in physical stores and online deals transpired on Cyber Monday. Fast forward to the present day, with ecommerce having grown into a behemoth, and the Black Friday weekend promo period has expanded into as many as ten days—starting from the Sunday before Black Friday and lasting to the Tuesday after Cyber Monday. In some marketing circles this is known as “Cyber Ten.”
In much the same way as larger planets having stronger gravitation, the bigger Black Friday gets, the more bargain hunters it attracts. Consumers look ahead to it with eager anticipation with many of them commencing research into desired items well in advance of Black Friday. But increased traffic means a higher premium placed on user attention and subsequently a higher cost-per-click (see chart below). Motivation enough then to deploy next-generation technology that can accurately gauge intent of users to make every impression count.
Source: Median RTB House data, based on 632 campaigns in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Poland, the United States, time period: 1 Oct 2024 - 31 Dec 2024.
Many brands, to leverage the buzz, have started ramping up their promo messaging ahead of time and some are even starting their promotions early.
Every year the potential for brands to win big at Black Friday marketing is growing. Yes, the numberof people purchasing is increasing, but they are also typically spending more in each transaction. In 2024, according to Adobe consumer spending increased by 4%, with average order values increasing by 3% Y-o-Y.
Such is the power and primacy of mobile (on Black Friday, 2024 69% of online sales came via mobile), that many brands are adopting a “mobile-first” posture. In general, any brand that doesn’t a) have a great app and b) have a great app-strategy is fighting a losing battle, but if your Black Friday marketing doesn’t have these things you have lost before even entering the fight.
A great omni-channel approach is essential; all your channels working in concert for the greater good. Sure, embracing new channels, like social selling and livestreaming, is key, but all channels should build to a crescendo towards the key Black Friday period.
To help you do just that we have selected a handful of beneficial Black Friday promotion ideas for you.
5 Black Friday advertising tips
#1—Ramp up early to boost anticipation
Ramping up promotional activities early is key. A fact underlined by, The Global Black Friday/Cyber Monday report 2024. It found that ecommerce sales starting two weeks prior to and including the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend grew 45% compared to the same period in 2023. Brands that do not ramp up promotions early could be missing out on a big opportunity.
Providing early access to major sales, especially Black Friday is a great way to reengage lapsed users early and gauge intent. One effective avenue is through newsletter and loyalty programs in the days leading up to a given promo period. Reward subscribers for their loyalty and either give them early access to deals or a heads-up about the best upcoming offers.
It’s what the leading fashion brands of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger do. They provide early access to major sales, especially Black Friday. As the chart below shows, in fashion, if you can raise awareness early, and have the right tech providers in place, you can increase conversions in the lead up to Black Friday and on Black Friday itself. The extremely pronounced two-peaked lift below represents on-site conversions for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This is a lift of around 100% from mid-October levels.
Source: Median RTB House data, based on 130 campaigns in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Poland, the United States, time period: 1 Oct 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
#2—Catch those cart abandoners
The global online cart abandonment rate for 2024 was 70.19%. But, is this cause for concern or a massive opportunity? We say massive opportunity. Because behind every abandoned cart is real intent. An uncompleted purchase doesn’t necessarily signify a lack of will. Very often, users just need a well-timed reminder to propel them over the line. Adding a robust cart abandoner campaign to your list of Black Friday marketing strategies can bring significant returns. But How?
By first identifying, and then assigning a special rate to cart abandoners, you can target them more thoroughly and encourage them to take that last crucial step and buy. Of course next-generation technology will empower you to turn more abandoned carts into sales.
#3—Leverage promo FOMO
Promo periods are short-lived by nature. They are fleeting and time-sensitive. Emphasize this with messaging and offers that add extra urgency, an imperative for shoppers to act.
Quite simply, urgency and scarcity drive action. This is the concept of FOMO (the fear of missing out), and underlining this strongly with your Black Friday Marketing can drive results.
Use limited-time specials for popular categories that offer generous but temporary discounts. Signal limited stocks to add more of a motivation to act.
#4—Drive improvements in omni-channel
The need to unify the customer experience across all touchpoints has long been recognized. Your web and app should work seamlessly together, which both in turn should be in tune with your physical stores, and customer service. What constantly changes, however, is your goals as a brand, and your hierarchy of budget allocation priorities. Relatively new channels, like social media and with it the growing role of influencers and social selling, should inspire a rethink, perhaps even a reassessment of your approach to Black Friday marketing.
Whatever the channel, customers want to feel known and seen. When they are searching online for a deal this is no exception. Deploy on-brand and beautiful creative that not only puts a spotlight on your products but that is powered by technology that presents the right offers to the right users. Retargeting that offers precise personalization, through next-generation AI, such as Deep Learning, or first-party contextual GenAI analysis, is a must to cut through the noise of Black Friday.
#5—Underpin your Black Friday marketing with next-generation capabilities
Online traffic and advertising reaches a frenzied peak in the Black Friday period. Deploy technology that can harness this frenzy. Only AI can process the huge amount of data flowing into your online campaigns, and make precise decisions on user intent. But there are different types of AI. Take on multiple AdTech partners to widen your reach and to diversify your tech stack. There’s very little overlap and you will maximize conversion not by increasing your budget, but by spreading it across providers.
“As the promotional season approaches, brands should refine their retargeting strategies with a strong focus on personalization. To achieve meaningful engagement, brands should go beyond basic targeting and create specific segments for new, existing, loyal, and dormant customers, addressing each group with tailored content, creatives, and offers aligned with their purchasing intent. “Consumer behavior differs between verticals. For instance, data shows that Fashion and Electronics attract distinct visitor patterns. Electronics websites typically experience a steady increase in browsing activity from September to November, which then surges and peaks during Black Weekend and Cyber Monday, as users explore options, search for the best deals, and convert once ready. In contrast, Fashion shoppers are often more decisive—they tend to build baskets earlier in Q4 and complete purchases when discounts are at their most attractive. Recognizing and adapting to these behavioral nuances allows brands to optimize their segmentation and messaging strategies across categories. “To enhance campaign performance, it is essential to collaborate with a trusted retargeting partner that supports brands in developing compelling, brand-aligned creative templates which adapt seamlessly to different devices and ad formats. Finally, brands should ground their approach in data-driven decision-making, leveraging insights from the previous year’s performance, benchmark comparisons, and recent traffic dynamics to anticipate consumer interest in the upcoming promo period. Close cooperation with the retargeting partner will ensure that these insights translate into actionable strategies and measurable results.”
Promo FOMO?
Why not check out our new report which provides a swathe of useful information around Black Friday marketing and the kind of technology and strategy that maximize conversions. Promo FOMO? Not for much longer.
