Ad industry leaders on Black Friday: Tips, trends & warnings

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just days away, ready to unleash the year’s biggest shopping surge. But with the UK Budget statement crashing the retail party, how might this year’s sales bonanza be disrupted?

We asked leaders across the marketing, adtech and creative sectors what brands should be watching — and where the smart money is this season…

Adrienn Major, Founder, POD LDN

“This year’s Black Friday ads really highlight how quickly brands are embracing smart tools and automation to stay competitive.

“It’s clear that marketers are moving beyond traditional ad creation and leaning into custom workflows, streamlined versioning and advanced adaptation tools.

“These systems don’t just save time; they help teams produce highly targeted, high-performing campaigns that drive real sales and stronger conversions.

“As shoppers expect more personalised and seamless experiences, brands using these technologies can deliver faster, smarter and more relevant advertising.

“This lends itself particularly well to Black Friday campaigns, when price and speed are all important.”

Stephen Upstone, CEO & Founder, LoopMe

“While advertisers have been planning Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns for months, our data indicates that 66% consumers are planning their purchases in the three days before, and a quarter only on the day itself.



“Advertisers should be aiming to maximise conversions by engaging consumers with creatives on these preceding days, as well as the first sale day. It’s also worth noting that deal discovery is being led by CTV and social media channels, or influencers on those platforms.

“These key channels indicate an open lane for building brand awareness and equity for the shopping events.

“With our data showing a high level of suspicion around the validity of deals, particularly among Gen-Z. Only 10% aged 18-24 believe Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are “definitely real,” compared to 21% of those aged 25-44. Skepticism must be countered with specific campaign messaging that verifies discounts.

“Brands should be highlighting the genuine value of the savings to build trust, and validate this by tracking brand sentiment. To capture the younger, ageing-up audience, it’s even more important for brands to emphasize the authenticity of savings in their campaign messaging.”

Suzanna Chaplin, Founder and CEO, esbconnect

“Traditionally, Black Friday creative has relied on stark, minimalist typography, such as black backgrounds and bold percentage discounts. But this year, that approach risks disappearing into a sea of identical black boxes.

“Consumers are more cynical about discounts and more selective about what feels worth buying.

“To stand out, brands need to move from the discount billboard to experience-led creative, much like what we see from M&S Food. Bring the product to life and make it feel indulgent, uplifting and even a little luxurious.

“Think beyond “25% off” towards a creative that sells the feeling of the product, with discount messaging used more subtly. Shoppers are looking for those small, justifiable luxuries, the lipstick moment.

“Creative that highlights experience, quality and sensory appeal will outperform flat discount graphics this year.

“From an online strategy point of view, first-party data capture is crucial. This weekend will bring peak traffic as well as peak noise. Incentives such as sign-ups for free delivery throughout December or a discount on a future purchase can turn one-off visitors into long-term customers and build your email base at low cost.

“With the right incentive, you can position your brand as the destination for December.

“Finally, brands must protect margin. Returns surge during Cyber Week, so encouraging click-and-try in-store helps reduce logistics costs and creates valuable upsell opportunities.

“And rather than offering blanket discounts, brands should focus on basket-building mechanics such as tiered rewards, bundles and free gifts to lift average order value without racing to the bottom.”

Barney Worfolk-Smith, Chief Growth Officer, DAIVID

“We’re seeing a growing wave of clients testing GenAI-powered, multi-versioned and segment-personalised ads — one of the first real at-scale use cases for AI-generated mid- to lower-funnel creative.

“Our assessments have already surfaced a few snags (including some classic uncanny-valley moments), so keep an eye out in your feeds. Will it deliver RO-AI… or RO-no-way-I?”

Tom Stone, co-Founder, re:act

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday have turned into long campaigns rather than one-week sprints.

“Most brands have already done the heavy lifting by warming up audiences for months, building engaged communities and lining up the right creative and media foundations before pushing harder in these final days.

”The next week will be about closing the gap rather than starting from scratch.

“Because the space is so crowded, you can expect bolder creative choices and more experimentation across adtech and ecommerce journeys.

“The brands that perform best won’t be the ones shouting the loudest, but the ones that spent the past half-year preparing their audiences so these last touches feel natural rather than frantic.”

Emma Lacey, SVP, Sales Demand EMEA, Onetag

“Black Friday campaigns will naturally include social and retail media, but the premium open web also offers immense opportunities for reach and relevance, as many users explore reviews, inspiration, and editorial content before making purchase decisions.

“Brands can appear in these environments that naturally align with consumer mindset and build stronger engagement by using contextual and attention signals to guide media investment.

“The ability to curate quality supply and optimise placements in real time gives advertisers a clear performance advantage, helping them connect with shoppers where decisions are being shaped rather than where they are simply completed.”

Owen Hancock, RVP, Marketing – EMEA, impact.com

“The era of the ‘smash-and-grab’ Black Friday ad blitz is effectively over. Consumers are savvy; they’re starting their research as early as September, they’re checking multiple sources, and frankly, they’re sick of brand-direct noise.

You can’t just buy your way to success with a weekend media spend anymore. Brands need a longer creative runway that is built on real trust. The companies that will convert consistently this season aren’t the ones with the biggest ad budgets; they are the ones leveraging trusted voices – creators, publishers, and niche experts – to meet consumers with authenticity wherever they are scrolling.”

Manal Saho, Regional Business Growth Consultant, Preciso

“Brands are shifting towards a world where creative agility and data integrity work side by side.

“AI will take over much of the heavy lifting in content production, helping teams move faster than ever, but the brands that win will be the ones that keep authenticity and strong storytelling at the heart of their work. Speed means nothing if the message doesn’t feel human.

“In adtech, first-party data and privacy-focused technologies will continue to sharpen targeting, giving brands a clearer understanding of real customer intent without relying on third-party signals.

“This is becoming essential as regulation tightens and consumers demand more control over how their data is used.

“At the same time, shopping itself is shifting. Seamless, social-led experiences are changing the way people discover and buy online, blurring the lines between content and commerce.

“As Black Friday rolls in, brands that combine fast, flexible creative with trusted data and frictionless buying journeys will be the ones that cut through the noise.”

Ben Cicchetti, SVP Marketing Communications, InfoSum

“Black Friday exposes a simple truth. You cannot win by sending more emails into overflowing inboxes, or by raising bids in media auctions that are already saturated.

“You win by bringing together the most interesting and diverse datasets to unlock intelligence your competitors cannot see.

“The brands that can connect insights from retailers, media owners and trusted data partners in a secure environment will be the ones that gain an edge.

“These networks give marketers access to intelligence that identity-based targeting alone cannot match. When AI can analyse diverse, privacy-safe datasets, it becomes possible to spot genuine buying signals, reach high-intent shoppers and spend with far more efficiency.

“It is the brands that collaborate, not the brands that shout, that will cut through the chaos of Black Friday.”

Savina Parvanova, Global Marketing Director, Limelight Inc 

“This Black Friday and Cyber Monday, brands won’t just compete on offers, but on the speed and intelligence of the ad platforms behind them.

“Yes, the scale of opportunity is nearly unmatched across the annual sales calendar, but budgets are inflated in tandem, and everyone and their dog are out for a piece of the pie.

“Brands looking to adtech will need to be really smart about who they partner with if they’re to rise above the rest, and engage their audiences to drive sales.

“They should build an adtech stack that includes partners capable of operating with large volumes and unlimited QPS.

“They should also work with a variety of channels in a multi touchpoint ad strategy to perform best and make use of more adaptive technology that enables them to optimise trading workflows in real time.

“Brands that develop the right programmatic stack give themselves the greatest chance of success at this annual event.”

Lukas Schneider, Director Campaigns & Products, MINT Square

“As one of the golden quarter’s key shopping moments, Black Friday offers a prime opportunity for advertisers to reach consumers.

“This is even more relevant in the tougher economic conditions of 2025 – with the British Retail Consortium reporting that retail sales were down in October, as consumers waited for Black Friday deals.

“With so many brands and retailers fighting for attention at this time of year, it’s important to get strategies right to cut through the noise.

“Although online shopping continues to grow at pace, Black Friday is one time when shoppers still hit the high street, and advertisers should therefore think about channels that can reach them when they are ‘on the move’, such as digital out-of-home (DOOH) and audio.

“DOOH can be delivered almost anywhere, and is able to dynamically adapt depending on advertiser requirements and other factors. Audio is another channel with huge potential, with major platforms such as Spotify opening up more data, allowing programmatic opportunities to expand for advertisers.

“Including these as part of omnichannel efforts are a powerful way to grab consumer attention and influence purchases.”

Alison Harding, Vice President of Data Solutions, Lotame

“The Golden Quarter may be highly competitive, but marketers who play the long game with a data-driven, audience-first approach will find value beyond the festive window.

“Outsmarting the competition isn’t about outspending them during Q4; it’s about applying insight to reach the right audiences when others aren’t paying attention.

“Black Friday is a powerful moment for consumer engagement, but it’s one goalpost among many to win for brands. The real opportunity lies in how brands leverage this seasonal momentum to build lasting relationships with their customers.

“Brands that invest in understanding their customers year-round will be the ones who convert seasonal spenders into lifelong advocates.

“Making sure brands understand the motivations, habits, and preferences of shoppers throughout the year, and also on which media channels they spend their time, will allow brands to engage strategically and proactively with their customers, rather than simply reacting to seasonal trends.”

James Taylor, CEO, Particular Audience

“Another year where consumers are waiting for BFCM (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) to hit, outside of replenishment categories we see higher browse and lower conversion across the board.

“Many baskets are getting filled and we expect checkouts to rocket once the deals hit.

“Our fixed tenancy media placements on retailer websites have hit record pre-bookings this year, showing that advertisers are starting to play the retail calendar properly, this will drive material outcomes for the advertisers that are on the front foot”.

Sarah Robson, Global Head of Ad Effectiveness, On Device

“During this festive season, brands are facing shoppers who have never been more savvy and value-focused. Brands need to stay top of mind, targeting consumers at the right funnel stage, and with data that gives them the confidence their marketing investment is working.

“There is a growing demand for more granular, reliable insights into how campaigns are performing across channels. Seasonal advertising isn’t just about big TV campaigns, it’s about understanding which touchpoints move people and why.

“As consumers spend more selectively, brands that have a solid measurement framework will see the most success, connecting emotional storytelling and effective media planning with clear, data-led insight to continually enhance their advertising campaigns.”

Also Published in: Mediashotz