Webinar recap: Black Friday guide to short vs long-term benefits

In October’s member exclusive webinar, Paul Hitchens, a renowned marketing expert, discussed the pros and cons of Black Friday marketing campaigns. He highlighted the global impact of the event, noting a 5.2% year-on-year increase in UK online spending in 2024. Hitchens also reviewed the short-term sales activation benefits and the long-term, brand building approach to Black Friday campaigns, and explored how some major brands have used the day to move beyond discounts to sell a story aligned with their purpose.

Paul Hitchens, FCIM, is the founder of Verve Brand, a TEDx speaker, author of several renowned marketing books and a course director for CIM. As well as exploring the pros and cons of Black Friday marketing campaigns in his webinar, Hitchens covered the strategic importance of authenticity, sustainability, and consumer trust in Black Friday strategies.

The impact on consumer behaviour 

Black Friday has the power to influence consumer behaviour by driving immediate action and have a substantial impact on their experience with the brand, both in the short and long term.

Brands must create a balance between short-term promotional hype and long-term brand building, using the four Ps of marketing (product, price, place, promotion) as a framework. For today’s consumers, the implications of brand purpose and sustainability play a big role in swaying their purchase decisions. To drive long term growth and customer retention after the discounts have stopped, brands must use omni-channel integration and seamless customer experiences, which Hitchens explained using examples of click-and-collect and same-day delivery.

Promoting customer loyalty 

During the webinar, Hitchens shared the importance of brand experience in building long-term customer loyalty, citing Mintel's research that states 84% of UK consumers say a positive Black Friday experience would encourage repeat purchases. However, over-discounting can run the risk of eroding perceived brand value, making it difficult to sell at full price in the future.

Brands need to implement layered promotional strategies that build hype and extend impact, using pre-sale teasers and post-sale retention strategies to create a seamless, trustworthy brand experience. Higher customer retention relies a lot on the role of authenticity and transparency in maintaining consumer trust, especially during high-visibility events like Black Friday.

Brand positioning 

Consumers increasingly value not just price, but the entire buying experience, and while Black Friday may create a spike in short-term sales, rushed campaigns attract primarily price-driven shoppers rather than loyalists, and could dilute brand positioning if not handled strategically.

Hitchens encouraged the webinar attendees to evaluate their brand's positioning and consider how they could inspire a creative Black Friday campaign using the values their brand stands for. He also highlighted the strategic imperatives of aligning product offerings with seasonal demand and consumer urgency, and balancing pricing strategies to avoid eroding long-term brand equity.

Using Black Friday strategically 

Many consumers report making purchases during Black Friday they later come to regret, with brands generating a powerful sense of urgency, using deep discounts, time-limited offers, and extensive promotional hype to drive impulse buying. While these strategies create a high volume of traffic, maintaining brand integrity is often much more important to customers.

Hitchens discussed how brands can innovate during Black Friday without compromising their values, using examples of fashion, homeware, and tech brands. Campaigns that align Black Friday with social values, brand values or environmental purposes, like Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket”, can deepen loyalty and reshape expectations.

Ethical concerns 

The modern consumer is also attuned to brand ethics and sustainability, with a majority willing to turn away from brands that mislead or greenwash their practices. Campaigns that align Black Friday with social values or environmental purposes can have a longer lasting impact on the consumer. Prioritising meaningful connections with consumers over mere pricing discounts helps to create a sustainable customer relationship.

Throughout the webinar, Hitchens emphasised the need for brands to align their promotional tactics with their environmental, social, and governance commitments. Staying true to the brand’s clear ethical purpose and reinforcing this idea throughout the Black Friday season is a much more authentic way to connect with your audience.

Trust and emotional resonance 

Authenticity and the role of brand identity and equity are key to maintaining consumer trust and avoiding actions that could dilute brand associations. Creating emotional brand-led campaigns over rational sales-led ones helps to create meaningful differentiation in a competitive market. Using internal culture to guide Black Friday messages builds consistent storytelling and brand assets that reinforce long-term brand memory and loyalty.

The future of Black Friday  

Black Friday should be seen as a strategic opportunity to reinforce brand purpose and differentiation, and brands should use it as an opportunity to build long-term brand equity and consumer trust.
It is a careful balance between offering big discounts and utilising the retail profitability, and the importance of aligning Black Friday campaigns with brand values to form long-term partnerships with consumers. Hitchens’ top tips are to not throw the brand out the window, think long-term, and stay true to already established values.

To hear more about Black Friday strategies and how to connect with your consumers, CIM members can watch back Paul Hitchens’ webinar now. Learn how to reconcile short-term activation with long-term brand purpose and sustainability.