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Introduction
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) is a key revenue period and one of the most anticipated events of the year for retailers. The National Retail Federation reported a record 200.4 million shoppers who participated in BFCM sales in 2023.
For many shoppers, BFCM is an opportunity to get ahead on holiday shopping and take advantage of great deals. With compelling promotions, marketers and advertisers can capture the attention of a wide range of shoppers, boosting in-store foot traffic, revenue, and return on ad spend.
Here are six strategies marketers and advertisers should be considering for the upcoming BFCM period, and beyond:
01
Using Geolocation Targeting Around Store Trade Areas
To generate qualified in-store traffic, drive-to-store campaigns are extremely effective. By using geolocation targeting around the trade areas of your stores or shopping centers, and combined with affinity targeting, marketers and advertisers can significantly increase the chances of conversion.
Consumer insights can help target prospects who regularly frequent the neighborhoods around your store or shopping center, allowing you to target the most relevant profiles for each location and increase your chances of generating in-store foot traffic.
02
Choosing an Acquisition and Retention Strategy
To optimize your campaigns’ success during BFCM, you should focus not only on retaining your existing customers through personalized campaigns but also on acquiring new customers.
The BFCM period creates an excellent opportunity to expand your audience reach. Marketers and advertisers can create “lookalike” audiences—consumer segments that share similar characteristics with your current customers. This approach can be further enhanced with precise affinity and demographic targeting using consumer insights.
For example, marketers or advertisers for a women’s clothing retailer can target a female audience within a specific age and household income range who regularly consume fashion content or frequent competing stores.
03
Personalizing Ads Using Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) Marketing
By targeting audiences based on geographic and affinity criteria around the trade areas of your stores or shopping centers, marketers and advertisers can significantly increase the chances of attracting qualified in-store foot traffic.
Using Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) will allow you to personalize ads in real time using geolocation data, strengthening the local relevance of the ads and improving the in-store conversion rate.
For example, adding the store’s address or an interactive map showing the route to the shopper’s nearest store will directly encourage the shopper to visit and take advantage of exclusive offers, maximizing the campaign’s return on ad spend. Adding dynamic elements, such as a countdown timer for specific sales, can also create urgency and motivate shoppers to act quickly before the offers end.
04
Creating Product-Driven Ad Promotions
BFCM is a key moment for shoppers seeking the best deals, with many shoppers waiting for this specific period to find the best deals at the lowest prices. For brands and advertisers, the challenge is to stand out by highlighting exclusive and attractive promotions.
To maximize the impact of ads, it’s crucial to adopt a captivating and dynamic visual style that grabs users’ attention and encourages them to take action.
To showcase the discounted products during BFCM, you can opt for carousel ad formats. These allow you to feature a wider variety of products and invite users to explore the selection directly on their devices, providing a smooth and engaging shopping experience.
05
Crafting a High-Impact Communication Strategy
To succeed during BFCM, preparation is essential, especially when allocating an optimal budget for your campaign.
This key period requires a strategy less focused on branding and more centered on products, with the main objective being shopper conversion. It’s important to tailor the communication at this stage of the purchasing journey to maximize the impact of the offers.
When Should You Launch Your Campaign?
We looked at a Fospha study, which highlights different strategies along with their pros and cons:
Option 1: Communicate throughout November.
For brands with a large budget, this strategy allows them to stay top-of-mind during the Black Friday peak. According to the study, 50% of brands chose this strategy in 2023.
Advantages: solid performance, stable revenue
Disadvantage: lower ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Option 2: Communicate the week before Black Friday.
This strategy maximizes ROI by focusing on the period right before Black Friday. According to the study, 37% of brands chose this strategy in 2023.
Advantages: excellent ROAS
Disadvantage: riskier strategy with a shorter time frame
Option 3: Communicate only during Black Friday weekend.
This strategy is favored by brands with smaller budgets and was chosen by 13% of brands in 2023.
Advantages: 30% uplift in ROAS
Disadvantage: lowest revenue of the three options
06
Adapting An Omnichannel Strategy to Reach A Wide Audience
To truly stand out during BFCM, it’s important to activate campaigns through multiple channels. Combining display (desktop and mobile), CTV, and social media, for example, ensures broad coverage and maximizes the impact of campaigns by reaching the largest audience on their preferred channels.
Modern shoppers move seamlessly across various formats, and an omnichannel strategy keeps your message consistent and complementary across each one, with clear calls to action. An omnichannel strategy boosts both the visibility and impact of your marketing efforts.
Conclusion
To make the most of BFCM, brands should develop a strategy that prioritizes both customer acquisition and retention, leverages personalized and geolocated ad campaigns, and adapts messaging to resonate with shoppers seeking the best deals. Balancing budget with the right communication timeline alongside an omnichannel approach will ensure maximum reach and ROAS. By planning carefully and tailoring your tactics, your brand can effectively capture shopper interest and drive conversions during this important revenue period.
