The expert Black Friday strategy roundup

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (or BFCM as we’ve started abbreviating it) are right around the corner. That means marketers are keen to get ahead of the rush and meet their target audiences with compelling offers, guaranteed to win them over this holiday season. But when every marketer is doing the same thing, how do you “win” BFCM?

We recently talked to five marketing and analysis experts about how they prepare for the selling season, and no surprise, accessing and leveraging the right data was a hot topic. Take a look at how these professionals utilize historical behaviors, programmatic ads and the right metrics — and more — to truly stand out during BFCM.

Insights from a performance marketer: Kyle Shurtz

Kyle Shurtz is the VP of performance marketing at Avalaunch Media, a successful full-service digital marketing agency. We recently picked his brains on how BCFM is evolving and just how to navigate increasingly saturated markets. Here are his insights.

Leverage more than a single year’s historical data

Kyle’s first BCFM tip was to leverage historical data and learn from the past. However, don’t get caught up just in last year’s data. “I like to cast a wide net to see how things trend over several years, especially in terms of pricing, inventory management and other key factors,” Kyle explained. Over a period of years, marketers can discover pricing trends for low-selling products, inventory issues and other areas for improvement, ensuring this year’s campaign builds on the successes (and failures) of previous years.

Bust those bottlenecks

Data siloes are death to successful performance marketing. When departments operate in isolation, marketers can end up basing campaigns on limited or even inaccurate information due to data bottlenecks. “I’ve worked with companies that are very siloed, and it makes it hard to identify the real issues. Breaking down those silos is crucial to running effective campaigns and keeping the business healthy,” Kyle noted. Also consider performance bottlenecks. For example, you may need to onboard contract-based creative professionals to cover your additional content needs.

Balance attracting new customers with satisfying existing ones

Customer support is a critical aspect of marketing. So much so that 88% of consumers state they will purchase again from brands that provide good customer experiences. However, Kyle says that firms must balance serving existing customers with acquiring new ones, with that balance dependent on the type of product or service you offer. “If you’re selling a one-and-done product, it makes more sense to focus heavily on new customer acquisition. But if you have a repeatable or complementary product, you can strike more of a balance. Maybe 50/50 between new and existing customers,” Kyle explained. By focusing on both, you can maximize the profitability of BFCM campaigns by tailoring experiences to different segments.

BFCM tips from a data engineer: Kelly Stancil

Now we move to tips from Kelly Stancil, an experienced data engineer at Mason Interactive, a digital marketing agency. He kindly shared his insights into seasonal sales and how to master the BFCM period.

Christmas in July

No need to get the tree decorated in summer, but planning for the holidays should begin as early as July. Waiting until the fall to start planning BFCM campaigns is leaving it too late.

“That’s why, this year, we held a seminar in July with our e-commerce clients to emphasize the importance of starting preparations earlier,” Kelly explained. “As soon as the back-to-school season is over, we’re discussing plans for Q4. It lessens the excuses and regrets from both the agency and the client in the post-holiday retrospective.”

Planning ahead helps agencies and clients feel prepared for increasingly long sales campaigns.

Programmatic advertising for top visibility

Increased visibility is essential for cutting through the noise of multiple BFCM campaigns. Programmatic advertising via platforms like Google and Meta helps keep brands top-of-mind for customers swamped with sales emails.

“Programmatic is great at generating many impressions at low CPMs to build widespread brand awareness,” Kelly said. “Even if we couldn’t get a brand in a prospect’s top seven, it’s part of the top 15, which means they’re considered for a smaller purchase or simply an impulse buy.”

Be aware of challenges

Every year has its own challenges. For example, in 2024, the U.S. presidential election could delay consumer buying by up to nine days and has already impacted spending habits. Assess current market fluctuations and consumer trends as well as leveraging historical data.

“Comparing performance to previous years is standard practice for any business,” said Kelly, “but providing meaningful context to those comparisons is what sets an analytics-driven agency apart. It’s not just about the numbers — it’s about understanding the factors behind them.”

Walk the customer journey

Customers usually buy from brands they already know and trust. However, during BFCM, they switch to a deal-seeking mode which often sets brand loyalties to the wayside. Brands must be prepared for this new customer journey to avoid having to cut prices so much that they don’t make a profit.

Seasonal tips from a marketing agency leader: Jeffrey Cavallo

We also got the chance to chat with Jeffrey Cavallo, the EVP of Decision Science at veteran marketing agency Hill Holliday. Jeffrey specializes in consumer research and marketing analytics, making his insights extra relevant for this time of year.

The right data leads to campaign success

While we all know that data is the key to marketing success, Jeffrey notes that the right data via strategic partnerships is essential. The right MarTech solutions help bring relevant, timely data together to help drive decisions that lead to effective campaigns.

Take a history lesson — look at shifting customer behaviors over the years

Understanding seasonal customer behavior and how it shifts over time can help marketers predict future trends. Jeffrey’s team assesses data from the last three years to identify popular products and tailor campaigns to build on those successes.

“We look to past Black Friday / Cyber Monday pushes and how quickly we saw a response afterward,” Jeffrey said. “We aim to optimize client flighting to achieve breakthrough levels when customers are signaling peak interest for the most immediate response. These analyses are more critical than ever as brands face a compressed season bookended by a November election and one fewer weekend for December holiday shopping.” 

These techniques also help marketers plan ahead for post-holiday sales.

Ensure marketing goals are aligned with business operations

We’ve already talked about avoiding bottlenecks and breaking down data siloes. Marketers and operations leaders should also collaborate to ensure their goals are aligned.

“COVID was a wake-up call for many marketing departments,” Jeffrey explained. “It showed us just how critical it is for marketing to be tightly connected to operations, especially when it comes to headwinds like  supply chain challenges.

“Big-box retailers have been operating with a strategy that relies on product availability, but the pandemic has shown how supply chain challenges can significantly impact marketing effectiveness.” 

Transparency around campaign success and the ability to pivot to match holistic goals are essential skills during seasonal sales periods.

Promote marketing as an investment

A top tip for other marketing agencies is to position your services to clients as an investment rather than a cost. When CFOs understand the significant ROI of data-driven marketing, they’re more likely to collaborate with CMOs and marketing agencies to ensure everyone has the resources they need.

Social media as a vehicle for sales: Darren D’Altorio

Social media is a major driver of successful seasonal campaigns. That’s why we were delighted to gain some critical insights from Darren D’Altorio, vice president of social media at the agency Wpromote.

Objects in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are…

… or in other words, don’t look back for too long. While historical data has its uses, as we’ve seen above, you must consider the current marketing dynamics when making marketing decisions.

“At the end of the day, if you’re spending too much time looking in the rearview mirror, you’re prone to making bad decisions,” said Darren. 

That’s why his team spends less time focusing on historical data and more effort on discovering how consumers are engaging with brands and markets right now.

Put your customer in the driving seat

This approach also helps center the customer further, an essential aspect of effective personalization and targeting. Darren talks about always putting the customer front and center, considering their financial situation, their needs and the stories they’re already consuming via the media they engage with.

“Take the opportunity to tell your story in an authentic way,” said Darren. “Then, build your value into that story — whether it’s in a gifting capacity, a self-gifting capacity or a community-building capacity.” 

Expand your social media toolbox

Go beyond static Facebook and Instagram posts and explore options that thrive on short videos that customers love to consume. Short-form video provides one of the highest marketing ROIs, but you don’t have to stick to the usual channels like Reels and YouTube Shorts. Gain more reach by utilizing Snapchat and TikTok, and be open to utilizing new channels that crop up on the scene.

“The way linear TV is deteriorating, premium content is largely shifting to ad-supported and subscription-supported video on demand,” Darren said. 

According to Darren, platforms like TikTok and Snapchat are being used for entertainment and search, eating away at Google’s share of the market. BFCM marketers can take advantage of that opportunity to corner a new audience.

Creative performance marketing tips from a data specialist: Raphaël Vaillancourt

Our final expert (last but by no means least) is Raphaël Vaillancourt. His insights come from his experience as a performance and data specialist at Quebec-based digital performance agency, mint. Numérique.

Data analysis before, during and after BCFM

Raphaël starts by discussing event analysis, particularly ensuring that marketers gather data at every stage of seasonal campaigns. The right tech stack additions allow marketers to pinpoint the strategies that worked best in the lead up and the fallout of BFCM, as well as in the eye of the storm.

Considering challenges like attribution bias

Knowing which marketing metrics you want to measure is a critical aspect of performance marketing. However, Raphaël notes that not all aspects of the marketing tech stack are up to scratch when it comes to accurate data. He’s concerned that Google Analytics, for example, carries attribution bias. This can lead to marketers funneling budgets into the wrong marketing channels, because the attribution data is skewed.

Get the right tech stack with proven results for the metrics you want to measure most.

CLV is more important than short-term profits

Raphaël also notes that customer lifetime value (CLV) is more important than a burst of short-term sales.

“If the first sale during BFCM isn’t profitable, that’s okay. We know that, over time, each customer will generate more revenue for the business,” he said.

“If a customer’s lifetime value doesn’t align with industry standards, we explore tactics to boost retention or increase the average order value.”

Accurate measurement of CLV is the key to leveraging this tip.

Creative assets are the key to success

Getting the right creative team on board could be the key to a BFCM campaign that rocks.

“In November 2023, we saw a 55% increase in ROAS when we handled the creative,” Raphaël said. 

Their eye-catching visuals and innovative marketing techniques helped grab customers’ attention fast, particularly across social channels.

How will you get into gear for BCFM?

If you’re not utilizing these tips already, most of them are easy to implement with the right marketing team and tech stack. And, as our experts say, it’s worth doing so for BFCM season. “Year after year, clients see that BFCM generates their best month,” Raphaël said. However, he also notes that lackluster offers and an inability to compete on price can leave campaigns dead in the water.

Starting early, leveraging the right data and using a tech stack that can help you pull it all together could be the keys to unlocking the best BFCM ever.