Let’s jump straight into a question I got from a client last week:
“Yen, what do you think about if we start our BFCM promotion… on Nov 1st?” Would it be too early?”
I studied the message puzzlely because…
I’ve been asking about their BFCM plan for over a month.
No updates.
Until…
I stared at the bottom right corner of my screen, and it screamed:
OCTOBER 28, 14:40
I mean…
…I know I write fast
…and I’ve never missed a deadline with this client
…and I’ve written enough promotion to whip a decent one in a few hours
…and, with this client, I have full authority on what to send
(because I blew their socks so many times since we started working together)
But we’re talking about ~25 percent of your annual sales
So, two cents here:
One
It’s become an industry norm to run promotions early.
This started in 2020, when the world shut down because of the big C. Suddenly, what used to take 2 days to arrive took weeks. What used to be a fast import became a dreadful, unpredictable, long wait.
In addition…
Inflation. Weird economy. Rattling politics.
Budgets grew tight.
Brands realized that if they don’t run their promotion early, their customers might drain their wallets before they even see the offer.
So, Black Friday got pushed…
1 week earlier
2 week earlier
Now, I’m seeing many brands starting early Black Friday a MONTH in advance.
And this year?
With the global tariff war plus a president with the temper of a 3-year-old who runs the country on Twitter? Expect worse.
So, yes. I do think it’s a good idea to run an early Black Friday promo a few weeks to a month before the traditional shopping holiday.
(That means NOW)
But here’s the second cent…
But running a promotion on Nov 1st means you have all the offers dialed in by mid-October and the “theme” created at least a week in advance.
If you are running your business with no pre-planning…
…and notifying your team member/freelancer/agency on the whim
…expect most marketers to give you a half-ass AI promotion.
Good creativity requires precipitation
We research. We dig the rabbit hole. We gather all the information.
And let them sink in…
While we shower, walk, eat, and sleep.
Until the best narrative emerges.
And the narrative makes or breaks your promotion.
To be continued…
– WYH