A DTC Strategy Guide to Capitalizing on Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday can feel like an all-out, zero-sum battle where the only way to win is to slash your prices deeper than your competitors. We're here to tell you to stop stressing about the race to the bottom. There are plenty of ways you can capitalize on Black Friday and Cyber Week sales without devaluing your product or setting new deep-discount expectations for consumers. We’ve got 7 strategic moves for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands to stand out, sell smart, and make the biggest sale of the year worthwhile for their bottom line.

1. Tie Your Offering to the Season

Some DTC folks may think Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BF/CM) is only for ecommerce, but the reality is that any business can participate, even real estate agents — seriously! The key is to structure the messaging in a way that makes sense for your brand and stay true to your brand voice. 

Back to the real estate agent. How can they tie their service into BF/CM and then think outside the box to motivate buyers and sellers? Well, first they can acknowledge that it's the time of year for big savings on homegoods. Then they can say that any contracts signed until EOY will get a complimentary X, Y, or Z. Or maybe they’re giving past clients $50 to spend on BF/CM for each referral sent their way. 

Key takeaways: Create an offer that makes sense, stay on brand, and align messaging with your brand voice.

2. Discount Thoughtfully

Bed, Bath, and Beyond has taught every business person the same lesson: discount often enough and consumers won’t buy your products without an offer. Even though BF/CM is just one time a year, remember that once you discount, customers will expect it. We 100% advise against introducing a discounting model that you can't sustain. 

3. Be Honest in Your Messaging

Although we all want our brand to stand out, you can’t claim that this is your biggest sale of the year if it’s not actually going to be the biggest sale you'll do all year. Being deceptive will train consumers to question your messaging in the future. 

4. Stand Out With a Unique (But Simple) Offer

Consumers are so used to a flat discount or percent off that anything outside that box will be scroll-stopping. Get a free iPad when you spend $300. One free month to the first 50 customers who buy a 6-month subscription. Keep an eye on margin, but if you consider this a loss leader for new customers, then you've got more room.

5. Make a Play Before Cyber Week

Everyone knows there are no rules for starting and ending sales around this time. That’s why Cyber Monday spun off Black Friday and then came Cyber Week and even Cyber Month. Consumers are definitely looking for deals in November, so do something a little different and offer multiple sales to stand out. Here are two ideas:

1. Run a 72-hour preview sale in early November. Invite active customers to access discounts before the general public. You can also offer a 24-hour preview sale to prospects and inactive customers. 

2. Run a countdown sale. Start a three-day sale with your biggest discount on day 1, followed by slightly smaller discounts to encourage consumers to buy sooner. 

6. Launch an Encore Sale

One of the great things about BF/CM is that it helps people shop for family and friends leading into the December holidays. But sometimes they get to the end of Cyber Week realizing they forgot something or didn’t even treat themselves. An encore sale the following week is a great way to catch eyes and generate incremental revenue. Messaging could be something like, “We were too busy shopping and bet you were too,” or simply, “We want to offer our customers one more special discount before the holidays.”

7. Create a Whimsical Spin on BF/CM

Yellow Sunday? Unicorn Days? Stand out with a new holiday-like theme that’s tied to your brand. Make it special, flashy, and even give it its own logo. Think of it as a new tradition for your customers (like Prime Day) that they look forward to every year. In that case, it doesn’t even need to be within a week of BF/CM, which gives you more opportunities for incremental revenue.

Now Draft a Strategy & Put it Into Action

Remember: Black Friday and Cyber Week sales are not a race to the deepest discount. Use this opportunity to apply smart strategy and brand creativity. By aligning your promotion with your brand and voice, thoughtfully managing your messaging, and using unconventional tactics like a unique offer or post-holiday encore sale, you’ll be capitalizing on all the eyes that are on the lookout for deals. 

If you need support in creating or executing your strategy, our team of unicorns is at the ready to help bridge the gap between your vision and tangible results. Reach out today and let’s make some marketing magic happen for your brand this BF/CM season.