5 ways brands can beef up their Black Friday marketing

Published Nov. 25, 2021, 7:52 a.m. by Sini-Maria Melanen

Peak sales season is upon us and few brands miss the opportunity to take advantage of it.

Black Friday has long been the biggest day for consumer sales, especially in the U.S, and more recently Europe, it has picked up pace. This year as well, more consumers say they are planning to spend big during Black Friday and Cyber Monday compared to 2020. Often criticised for promoting wasteful consumer behaviour, it’s nevertheless an opportunity for brands to gain visibility in the market. But instead of just slashing prices to lure consumers to shell out cash, brands have an opportunity show what they are made of and try new approaches to stand out.

Here are 5 ways brands can step up their Black Friday marketing.

Focus on newcomers. New buyers are pushing the growth of Black Friday sales since it’s the sales season that attracts the highest number of newcomers. These shoppers spend more time online than other consumers and they are driven by price awareness and convenience. Brands that invest in flexible deliveries, returns and payments will have a head start attracting these consumers.

Remember that Millennials and Gen Z’ers are gaining purchase power. Shoppers from the 18–44 age group will be dominating Black Friday which means brands need to commit themselves to digital shopping and marketing. Additionally, brands should recognise that Millennials and Gen Z’ers interact differently with brands compared to older generations. Millennials are interested in the full experience of buying a product and Gen Z’ers want to get the best value for high-quality purchases.

Try AR and VR. Consumers are looking at different ways to engage with brands and the pandemic has accelerated the need for alternative ways to do so. AR and VR technologies will help customers see items virtually and even test them to make purchase decisions. For brands, this is a new avenue to reach customers and a way to show they are forward-looking.

Double down on sustainability and social responsibility. Prioritising sustainability has become a mainstay for brands in recent years and this Black Friday is no exception. Customers want to support local businesses to cut down on shipping costs and choose brands that participate in social responsibility initiatives and have high sustainability standards.

Don’t forget that social media ads rock. During Black Friday, people tend to click more on digital ads and click-through rates are also higher at this time of the year. This means investing in lookalike audiences that are similar to your existing customers is a great idea, especially if you’re looking at acquiring new customers. As the holiday season approaches, everyone is trying to ramp up their reach through ads, which means having a proper digital marketing strategy is paramount.