Black Friday, the next victim of the health crisis?

Covid-19 hasn’t been kind to anybody, and Black Friday thrives on being generous with deals, promotional offers and gifts. But what’s the best way to get ready for this important sales period? And will this tradition make it through such a disruptive health crisis?

Between confinement, impulsive decisions, newly acquired routines, and panic buying of staples, our daily lives have been different, to say the very least. One result is that more people have taken to online shopping.

Online shopping is king

Faced with closed stores, brands have been reinventing themselves. And that’s what it’s all about: being flexible, agile, and being able to stay in touch with clients even if a worrisome pandemical virus is making it difficult. Optimizing online presence is definitely a step brands had to take six months ago to prepare for the weeks to come. These efforts will pay off in the end because there is not certainty that consumers are going to make a powerful comeback to brick-and-mortar stores.

Moreover, Click and Collect deals have had their finest hours during confinement. Global data and measurement firm Nielsen said it as well: only 5% of households internationally bought online before the crisis. During the lockdowns, this figure doubled. In the UK, e-commerce reached 31.2% of total retail sales compared to 19.1% in 2019 (ONS).

POINTS OF SALES VS. ONLINE SALES

You can see it happening around you: very few consumers are showing up at points of sales. According to research by agency Walnut Unlimited, just 41% of UK people said they felt comfortable returning to points of sale in the future, prompted by restrictive health measures (obligatory mask wearing), exacerbated risks at points of sales (particularly retail stores), the very vague distancing measures at shopping malls, and the anxiety-causing atmosphere of the situation.

In the meantime, online purchases are more popular than ever, with a 50% increase in monthly buyers opting for e-commerce and click-and-collect, again according to Nielsen. Without any doubt, consumers will turn to e-commerce for Black Friday. In response to these behaviors, brands are adapting: closed stores will focus on their online presence, while others will offer alternatives. Contactless payments are favored, the health measures in stores are emphasized by specific limitations and the Click & Collect option will let consumers choose their product online but go to a store to receive their purchase.

The uncertainty of the health crisis

Sure, they are solutions. Fact is, consumers expect a consolidated online offer. What to do? Has the health crisis propelled e-commerce to glory? Will consumers definitely end up avoiding physical points of sales and favor the ease of online shopping? What are the economic consequences to be anticipated?

All these questions can only be answered over time and will change how people shop. One thing is for sure, the health crisis has disrupted how we'll consume this Black Friday – but not only that. A complete return to how things were before Covid-19 is tough to imagine because even if Covid-19 brought its share of problems, it’s clear that the economy and technology have adapted to the situation. And these new ways of consuming will undeniably leave marks in our daily lives.

Marketing activation, your Black Friday 2020 ally

Since online purchases will represent a large part of purchases made during this Black Friday, you’ll need to prepare. Rest assured, we’ll give you our best tips, so you can easily prepare Black Friday.

#1 PREPARATION, THE ETERNAL SECRET OF ANY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT

There’s no magic to it, and we can’t say it enough: every marketing action deserves to be well thought out beforehand. You have data, you have information, and you have creative ideas – yes, you do, find them, they’re there, let them see the light! Take these ingredients to prepare your online presence and digital deals in order to maximize the impact of Black Friday on your business. Review your website, plan your social media postings, make sure your campaigns are relevant on all fronts, review your database and check that your online payment and e-commerce systems are configured correctly.

#2 REWARD LOYALTY: GOOD DEALS FOR GOOD CLIENTS

Your clients are special to you. And even more so during a health crisis and with fast approaching holidays. Make them feel special! Don’t bombard them with promotional offers to buy your wares and don’t send them promotional codes haphazardly. You know them, you have everything at hand to know what they need, so use this information wisely and present your deals using good common sense.

Your loyal clients should be able to enjoy all the advantages of the loyalty program you’ve carefully put together for them. It’s the opportunity to show them that their loyalty won’t be unwisely rewarded with a futile gift from the bottom of a drawer. You can re-read our article on loyalty programs - the tips still hold up.

#3 BE WHERE THEY EXPECT YOU TO BE

Your target is social media savvy? Your most loyal profiles need to read your e-mails? Take this into account when you tell them about your Black Friday deals. Customers know it’s coming up, they expect you to get their attention in the right place and at the right time, so make sure that you do!

#4 WRITE GOOD E-MAIL CAMPAIGNS

The wrong e-mail subject, typos in your message, deceitful or defective CTA, missing images, or even a bad targeting and boom: that’s all it takes for your clients to lose trust in you and ghost your brand. But don’t let this discourage you. If you’ve properly reviewed your targeting and your messages are relevant to your target, everything should be fine. And if you need support, your Customer Success Manager can always help you activate the right target with the right message. But you already knew that!