Yesterday, I shared two conflicting examples…
One brand that lost all its full-price customers because prospects are expecting a deal, versus a brand that runs very aggressive promotions every month but still maintains a strong positioning.
Before I share why…
Let me give you a case study:
In July 2025, a client of mine came to me asking –
“Yen, we always run a promotion in early August. This is one of the most important promotions for us because the revenue of this event will directly determine how much advertising we can budget before the holiday season.”
“Do whatever you can to generate more sales.”
The result?
I blew their socks off.
538% email revenue compared to last year
(almost matching their whole half-a-month 2024 BFCM email revenue)
But here’s the interesting thing…
I didn’t have a “better offer” this year.
I didn’t have a “bigger list” this year.
The difference?
I installed a narrative behind this year’s promo.
In short –
I gave the prospects a reason WHY we’re running this promo… WHY it’s not another “c-a-s-h grabbing event… and WHY they shouldn’t wait for the next deal.
It’s all about the “Backstory” behind the promo
A small change in the messaging.
A big difference in the outcome.
And this, my friend, is the secret to running very (very) profitable promotional events — without burning your list — without sacrificing long-term full-price sales. Because a good narrative provides novelty, exclusivity, urgency, and believability.
With that being said…
Tomorrow, I’m going to share with you the #1 mistake brands make when it comes to hosting holiday sales or flash sales.
To be continued…
– WYH