Black Friday: Media leaders on winning brand strategies

The world’s brands are poised for the biggest pre-Christmas retail event of the year, Black Friday, which kicks into gear tomorrow (Friday, 24 November).

But against a backdrop of global economic woe, the ongoing cost-of-living crises and multiple geo-political tensions, how will consumers respond?

And more importantly, what strategies should brands and advertisers be adopting to make sure they spend wisely in order to engage with consumers, not just over Black Friday itself, but beyond?

We asked some of the leading adtech and marketing agencies for their thinking ahead of the big weekend…

Suzanna Chaplin, CEO, esbconnect

Black Friday signals the start of the holiday ad frenzy but it’s also a key opportunity to grow data; data which can help to drive not only increased but also incremental sales.

With shoppers taking calculated steps before spending during this all-important holiday season, many have kicked off promotions early.

Jumpstarting the season, however, is not as important as a carefully considered strategy – one which can boost sales well beyond the annual festivities.

Advertisers must be more strategic than ever – don’t just discount, consider how you can start a relationship, use it as an opportunity to grab data e.g. sign up to our newsletter to get an extra x% off.

Ensure this is a long-term play in a climate in which few consumers are in a position to splurge.

Matthew Goldhill, Founder & CEO, Picnic

To drive meaningful outcomes for brands during Black Friday, and as a challenging holiday season begins, brands should be wary of wasting campaign budgets on ads that annoy, rather than engage users.

According to a recent survey we conducted in partnership with YouGov, more than two-thirds of consumers find digital advertising annoying, while 72% say that bad advertising experiences negatively affect their perception of a brand.

What’s more, almost nine in ten (86%) say that too many adverts on a webpage make them more likely to ignore the ads altogether.

It’s clear that we need to prioritise digital ad experiences that respect the overall user experience; focusing on quality and creativity at these critical moments for brands and shoppers alike.

Larraine Criss, COO, Preciso

With Black Friday signalling the start of the holiday ad frenzy, it’s important that advertisers spend wisely, across the most appropriate placements.

Targeted offers and discounts have emerged as a crucial avenue to engage with cash-strapped consumers, and indeed advertisers, with events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday helping to drive increased sales even as consumers continue to feel the pinch.

Fortunately, precision targeting is still possible in this privacy-first era, while disruptive programmatic ad buying continues to democratise access to high quality, qualified traffic at wholesale prices for merchants without the deep pockets of household names. But both require creativity and strategic rigour.

James Bennie, Regional VP, Customer Success impact.com

Advertisers must think beyond the short term, even during this promotional period. It’s important to build authentic and valuable partnerships with customers; leveraging influence to drive innovation, foster growth and create value.



The evolution of technology, and automation, can help to develop influence and build communities at scale.

But while Black Friday, without doubt, is a key moment in the retail calendar – signalling the start of the holiday ad frenzy – brands must take a considered approach which cuts through the noise, especially given the plethora of platforms and formats to choose from.

We haven’t even reached Thanksgiving, and the deals have been rolling in, thick and fast – risking over-saturation of promotional messaging which, in turn, puts pressure on margins.

It’s important to prioritise messaging which cuts through and adds authenticity and differentiation. In this way, partnerships can help.

But these must be meaningful and drive real value in order to compel consumers to part with their hard-earned cash as the all-important festive season approaches.

Elliot Hill, CMO, VeraViews

Despite a surprise fall in inflation, consumers are still feeling the pinch. Black Friday discounts have become a crucial avenue for consumers to stretch their budgets – but marketers must seek to protect their ad dollars, too.

In the rush to drive sales at key retail moments, advertisers too often lose valuable budget to ad fraud. They must look to protect themselves. In this fast-moving and often opaque media ecosystem, too many jump on the latest bandwagon rather than considering the most efficient tried and tested strategies for mitigating fraud.

Yet technology exists today to help to drive efficient targeting whilst safeguarding against this risk, which is more important to deploy than ever given the cost of living crisis.

Also published in: Mediashotz