Black Friday in an economic storm
November 28th 2022
THE EXAM QUESTION

Black Friday sales are, overall, still strong, but in some of the work we’ve done recently we’ve seen customers becoming increasingly distrustful of Black Friday deals, some creeping guilt over wasteful consumerism (driven by the cost-of-living crisis as well as climate change concern), and some Black Friday events failing to cut through the intense Black Friday noise.

So, in 2022, which Black Friday campaigns achieved stand out and relevance and which disappointed customers?

THE ANSWER

In line with previous research, we saw high levels of Black Friday distrust, as well as some shopper worries over wasteful consumerism and landfill.

Campaigns which had ‘flipped’ Black Friday to create a sustainability angle stood out from the crowd and felt innovative. While some are aimed at reducing consumption, respondents particularly appreciated those which allowed them to take advantage of savings while appeasing their guilt.

Cut through was also achieved by promotional mechanics which dialed up customer relevance and therefore reassured them that deals represented genuine value for money. The most convincing promotions were…

SIMPLE AND/OR ALL ENCOMPASSING
TARGETED OR PERSONALISED
HELPFUL DURING A COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS

However, events which continue to feed shopper cynicism are in danger of being dismissed as outdated or becoming Black Friday wallpaper.

THE APPROACH

We asked 20 of our ready respondents to be Black Friday spooks and to report back, based on their online and in store shopping over the Black Friday weekend, on which brands and retailers had impressed them this year and which had disappointed. We particularly asked them to tell us about any approaches which stood out as helpful, innovative, or relevant.

SO WHAT?

In 2023 it is likely to be even easier for brands and retailers to drown in the ever- increasing Black Friday noise, or to be dismissed as cynical or unhelpful. How will yours cut through, stay relevant and maintain sales?

Sustainability twists cut through

For people who are experiencing a little guilt over wasteful consumerism, Black Friday can feel like the ultimate embodiment of it. When asked about innovative approaches, Green Friday initiatives stood out and allowed them to take advantage of savings whilst reducing their guilt.

 

Passenger clothing are calling it Green Friday. They’re planting 5 trees for every purchase but they have loads of good deals on too – so you can buy something but not feel as bad about it.
The trainline had £15 off when you bought a railcard but in the email they also highlighted the green advantages of rail travel.
Teemill reversed Black Friday to raise awareness of clothes recycling. They highlight the landfill cost of cheap impulse buys and give you £5 your next purchase if you recycle something.
Ikea do this well. They call it green Friday and they give you money off new purchases if you recycle old furniture with them. You save money and feel good.

Increasing relevance reduces cynicism

People fear being duped by dubious offers on things that they don’t need but that retailers want to get rid of. Simple, all-encompassing promotions, offers successfully targeted to individual needs, and campaigns which feel helpful during a cost-of-living crisis, all provide reassurance that the reductions on offer represent genuine value.

SIMPLE OR ALL ENCOMPASSING

STELLA

Doing 25% off everything makes it all so simple. You don’t end up with the discounts being on things you don’t want or suspect they just want to be rid of.

TARGETED OR PERSONALISED

DERICK

I’d been researching laptops on Amazon and then when it got to Black Friday they sent me various deals, always including laptops, which saved me time searching.

HELPFUL DURING A COST-OF- LIVING CRISIS

MAX

They’re offering $100 off annual subscriptions which is around 1/3 off. It’s helpful at the moment so people can get skilled up to earn more or become more employable.

Black Friday wallpaper

Despite being able to find examples of relevant and innovative approaches to Black Friday, people find that some promotions (particularly from larger retailers) feed the cynicism or drown in the Black Friday noise.

DISINGENUOUS DEALS
  • Misleading ‘Up to X% off everything’ headlines which fool nobody.
  • Barrages of shallow reductions which feel pointless (and no better than you can always find)
  • Prices increased pre reductions.
BLANKET MARKETING
  • Communications completely lacking in targeting, particularly when focused on products for specific interests.
  • Inboxes are overloaded (for weeks) around Black Friday, so many are instantly dismissed.
MANIPULATIVE OFFERS
  • Feel more helpful to the retailer than the customer (too explicitly aimed at increasing spend rather than saving money).
  • Overly complicated or asks too much of the participant.
WILLOW
They had ‘up to 50% off everything’ but it was mainly single figure reductions, do they think we’re stupid? There may have been bigger discounts but I’d already been put off.
STEVE
There some quite stupid blanket emails. My wife had one from a golf brand and she’s never played golf! You end up just deleting them in big chunks.
ROBERT
They were offering an extra 20% on any vouchers you bought but they couldn’t be used until January. So they want your money now but you have to wait. Are they hoping you’d forget?

OUR KEY RECOMMENDATION

As people become distrustful of Black Friday promotions and the length and intensity of Black Friday noise increases, your brand’s event will need to work harder to be considered worthy of attention. When planning your 2023 approach to Black Friday, consider:

  • WHAT WILL MAKE YOUR CAMPAIGN STAND OUT IN THE BLACK FRIDAY NOISE?
  • WHAT WILL CONVINCE CUSTOMERS THAT YOUR PROMOTION IS GENUINE AND RELEVANT?
  • HOW WILL YOUR BRAND ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO SHOP GUILT FREE?