A different Black Friday [with examples]

Surely you have noticed that the passion that this date aroused among shoppers and online stores every year begins to be somewhat less. This is not to say that this long-awaited campaign has stopped working, but it is undeniable that Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns are not what they used to be.

 

Therefore, it may be a good idea to take a step aside and come up with more sustainable, supportive or simply more responsible alternatives for Black Friday. We offer you ideas, and you decide what to do with them for next year or even for what is still left of the Christmas campaign.

You only have to check your email inbox to see that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are still alive and kicking. But this activity indicator also has a lot to do with their loss of effectiveness in recent years (with the exception of 2021, which was dragging the effects of the pandemic).

 

Initially, they were offers that had, at most, a duration of one weekend (from Friday to Monday), dedicating the first day (Black Friday) to retail and the second (Cyber Monday) to eCommerce. But little by little, they have been extended until, practically, they last the whole month of November.

 

Logically, this generates buyers boredom who is so riddled with offers that he is unable to keep track of them; but, in addition, the urgency effect fades and, as a secondary and collateral effect, it causes sales to plummet in October, since most users no longer buy anything before the Black Friday campaign. 

Finally, let's add to all this that advertising prices skyrocket during this period and that, as a result of the sales, margins are not the best either. 

So maybe Black Friday is not dead, but with this approach it is in serious trouble.

Having said all this, it is logical that many retailers are beginning to look askance at Black Friday. But the pressure from competition and users themselves makes it quite difficult to resist it.

 

Aware of this, we have selected some examples of how you can turn this date around and celebrate an alternative Black Friday that also allows to reinforce your brand values and market positioning.  

Of course, brand values, because consumption is becoming an increasingly conscious action with ethical implications. This approach will allow you to turn the time of greatest consumerism into a way to stand out from your competitors.

With this business model, the truth is that it does not make much sense to join a campaign of aggressive promotions. So they came up with a very good move to avoid being left out of one of the strongest seasonal periods of the year.

 

During Take Back Friday they focused on asking their customers to send in their used clothing for recycling. In return they received store credit for new purchases, which resulted in a double customer loyalty (ethical and economic). A masterstroke.

In the case of REI, an eCommerce of outdoor and adventure leisure specialists, they are committed to promoting the lifestyle of their potential buyers. They openly encourage to spend Black Friday spending some free time in nature.

 

The "easy" thing to do would be to directly post packs of products for these outdoor activities on their site, but they have opted for an intermediate option that, although it probably has a lower conversion to direct sales, dramatically strengthens the brand's positioning.

 

On their website, they have a section called "expert advice" with tips from their experts. For each product (backpacks, boots, flashlights...) we find a very long article, written in a close way and based on the experience of a professional of the brand.

Same ethical positioning as Pomp, for example, but with a different strategy. In their case, they went the corporate social responsibility route and, during Black Friday, instead of lowering their prices... they raised them all by $1.

 

It may seem an oxymoron if we do not say that this extra amount went directly to charitable and environmental purposes. Thus, Allbirds, works as a catalyst and a manager of these donations made by its customers.

One more fashion brand and it is no coincidence. This is one of the segments in which Black Friday is especially competitive, but also one of the most changing in recent years.

 

Alohas has a position on these promotions that could be described as activist. Not only do they refuse to offer discounts in their stores on these dates, but they also see it as a contradiction in terms of their business model and the logic of responsible consumption.