News & insights

To discount, or not to discount: Time to jack in Black Friday?

15 November 2024

It started as Black Friday, extended to Cyber Monday, grew to Cyber Weekend and now has its own Cyber Week – has the annual sales campaign lost its meaning? 

Apparently not. 

A red sale balloon on a red background
Seasonal sales are on their way

Soaring sales

Soaring sales 

59% of Brits are planning to spend in this year’s Black Friday sales, an increase from 51% in 2023 (Finder.com). After a downturn in spend post COVID, it seems as though our interest in the discount weekend hasn’t completely waned, with forecasted UK spending up by c. £800m in 2024 vs 2023 (Finder.com). 

With required marketing budget increases, dramatic product discounts and potentially miniscule profits (we hear you Mrs Tweedy), the question for brands is: is it worth it? 

Perhaps. 

Wunderkind research highlighted a near +15% increase year-on-year in revenue for online retailers in 2023, indicating positive results for UK brands. 

A shopping bag saying ‘Sale’
Do you know what’s in demand?

How to turn Black Friday into Black FriYAY 

How you approach the period should be carefully considered, depending on your category. Here are a few tips ahead of the shopping event of the year: 

  • Plan your campaign and intentions early 

Keep your offer simple, don’t rely on last minute creative switches and hope for the best come 28th November, and don’t trick your buyers into early sales with ‘surprise’ steeper discounting later. 

  • Understand what’s in demand 

Think about whether you want to make sitewide offers or keep it product focused.  Keep an eye on consumer sentiment. 

  • Tee up your base 

Engage with previous customers and reward loyalty. 

  • Test, test and test again 

Test out your creatives, your offer and especially your website for any sneaky bugs that could affect UX. 

If you’d like to talk about seasonal sales campaigns, get in touch with the team – we’d love to help! 

Share on social

Related articles

Data-driven marketing for charities in the era of budget cuts

Data-driven marketing for charities in the era of budget cuts

Join the Dots and Herdify webinar – register now In today's challenging landscape, where charity budgets are shrinking and traditional marketing methods are becoming increasingly costly, standing out is more critical than ever. With all charities vying for the same...

State of the charity sector January-June 2024, our thoughts 

State of the charity sector January-June 2024, our thoughts 

You may have seen Wood for Trees, part of Salocin Group, recently released its six-monthly update on the state of the charity sector report (January-June 2024). We’ve had a good look through it, digested it and here are our thoughts…   Lori Cridland – Media...

The Drum Live – roundup of key outtakes

The Drum Live – roundup of key outtakes

Our Senior Media Account Director, Jodie Hanrahan, was invited to speak at The Drum Live (25 September 2024) alongside fellow Creative Futures team members Cathy Bittner from Canon Europe and Rob Flannery from Nutshell Creative. They spoke about the campaign they...

3 classic behavioural science techniques for marketers

3 classic behavioural science techniques for marketers

And 3 very cool nudges What is behavioural science?  Behavioural science is the study of how cultural, psychological and societal factors drive human behaviour. Within marketing, it’s used to influence attitudes and buying behaviour. The application of this...

State of the charity sector – our views 

State of the charity sector – our views 

You may have seen Wood for Trees, part of Salocin Group, recently released its annual state of the charity sector report. We’ve had a good look through it, digested it and here are our thoughts…  Clare Arndell – Head of Media Planning & Operations ...

Join the Dots awarded IPA People First Promise

Join the Dots awarded IPA People First Promise

We’re delighted to share we’ve been awarded the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)’s People First Promise, just as Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 kicks off. This badge of honour represents everything the Salocin Group and its agency brands – Join the...

7 things that top global digital media companies have in common

7 things that top global digital media companies have in common

The number of people who go online every day is constantly increasing. In fact, it’s probably gone up since you finished reading that sentence.

Digital media is an integral part of our daily lives. Most people use some form of digital media every day, right from the moment they wake up – and with so many people consuming digital media, it’s no wonder digital media is one of the most powerful ways to build a connection with your audience.

Adapt Your Donor Acquisition Strategy

Adapt Your Donor Acquisition Strategy

As we find ourselves battling another year of disease, war and likely recession, the need for strategy and methodical planning is more crucial than ever. No one should be suffering losses during these uncertain times.

Revolutionise your omnichannel marketing with a digital media strategist

Revolutionise your omnichannel marketing with a digital media strategist

If there’s one thing you do for your business in 2024, it should be to utilise the power of omnichannel marketing.

Trust us: customers want more than ever from brands, and omnichannel marketing has become a vital way to connect with your audience and deliver a seamless experience across various channels.

In the age of interconnectedness and instant information, more and more businesses are turning to omnichannel marketing to stay relevant and competitive.