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Holiday Sales Creep: Black Friday Loses Its Urgency
2 Dec
Summary
- Sales events now begin in late October, blurring traditional Black Friday.
- Extended sales diminish the urgency and significance of Black Friday.
- Marketers shift ad spend to longer windows, prioritizing awareness early.
The once-distinct Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events have transformed into an extended 'Black November' for many brands, with promotions now starting in late October. This shift has diluted the urgency and significance of the traditional end-of-November sales period. Marketers are adapting by spreading their advertising spend across these longer windows, moving away from concentrated efforts on a single weekend.
This evolution provides brands with greater flexibility to roll out campaigns earlier, test strategies, and optimize their advertising approaches. Some brands find that starting sales earlier can lead to lower advertising costs (CPMs) compared to the peak Black Friday and Cyber Monday timeframe. The decision to extend sales depends on a brand's focus, whether on profitability with a shorter window or revenue generation through longer, potentially lower-margin sales.
Furthermore, the extended season prompts marketers to focus on broader brand awareness and discoverability, especially with shifts towards AI-powered search. Early fall campaigns aim to secure mind share as consumers begin their holiday shopping. Marketers are also exploring the impact of AI search and AI agents, anticipating significant long-term changes in consumer behavior and advertising strategies.
