I am very much on the fence when it comes to Black Friday. As a consumer, I’ve had my fair share of Black Friday “wins” – holding out until November to bag a bargain on my Christmas shopping list. But I’ve also experienced my fair share of failures, including buying a jet washer from Amazon that never arrived and turned out to be a total scam.
Love it or hate it, there’s no denying Black Friday has become a behemoth in the world of eCommerce. With the annual event just around the corner, I want to explore the potential impact it can have on a brand’s reputation and what businesses should consider before diving in.
Customer Perception
Devaluing Products & Services
One of the biggest risks with Black Friday is the potential devaluation of your products or services, especially for premium brands. Heavy discounting might drive immediate sales, especially with new customers, but it can lead consumers to question the true value of what you're offering. If customers can buy your products at steep discounts from November - January, they may start to believe the full price isn't justified.
Consumer Fatigue
We’ve all been there, opening our inbox in late November to discover 30+ emails with ‘Black Friday’ in the subject line, it’s boring and repetitive. With so many brands competing for attention, the sheer volume of promotions can overwhelm shoppers, diluting your campaign and making your offers less effective. This saturation can lead to customers tuning out entirely or worse - anticipating discounts and holding out instead of making full-price purchases.
Thirsty for Sales
Participating in Black Friday without a well-thought-out strategy can make a brand appear ‘thirsty for sales’ and hefty discounts across your site could give the impression that you're struggling to sell your products at normal prices. If your Black Friday promotion feels gimmicky or misaligned with your brand image throughout the rest of the year, it can come across as inauthentic – especially for brands that usually focus on quality or expert craftsmanship.
Brand Image
Sustainability and Wastage
For brands that prioritise sustainability, Black Friday can conflict with core values. Heavy discounting is often associated with mass consumption and promoting impulse buying - potentially contradicting the values you’ve worked hard to build. As consumers become increasingly mindful of their buying habits, promoting unsustainable consumption could alienate your eco-conscious audience.
A 2022 Klarna survey revealed that 28% of UK shoppers said Black Friday and other flash sales events contribute to unsustainable buying habits, leading to negative perceptions of participating brands.
Read more about Black Friday & sustainability here: 'Black Friday: Should Your Business Participate Given Its Environmental Impact?'
Sceptical Consumers
With so many deals flying around, misleading marketing becomes a major concern for customers. Some brands inflate original prices to make their discounts more appealing, or even offer ‘limited-time’ deals which aren’t limited at all! These experiences damage trust and credibility, leading to scepticism around big sales periods.
52% of UK shoppers felt that Black Friday promotions were misleading, with many believing that the discounts were not genuine. Trustpilot Study (2022)
Loss of Exclusivity
For premium brands, participating in Black Friday may be contradictory. Offering significant discounts can make your products seem less exclusive, eroding the sense of uniqueness that’s often critical to luxury brands. It’s essential to strike a balance between enticing deals and staying true to your brand.
Positive Brand Impact
Brand Awareness
That’s enough negativity for one article, let’s move on to the benefits of Black Friday for brand. There’s no denying that Black Friday can be an extremely powerful tool for brand awareness. If executed well, it can highlight your brand to new audiences. Even if they don’t convert during Black Friday, the additional exposure could lead to future business and give your brand a seasonal boost.
Appreciation for Loyal Customers
Why not consider Black Friday as a way to share the love with your loyal customers? Keep your offers exclusively for existing customers or allow early access to discounts to show your appreciation for their ongoing support.
Charitable Campaigns
Rather than solely focusing on increasing sales & revenue, some brands use Black Friday as a way to raise money for charity, such as donating a percentage of profits. As well as having a positive impact on the charity, this can also enhance brand reputation, build long-term loyalty and build a connection with customers.
Pieminister launched #BlackPieday, giving surplus food in exchange for donations to the homeless charity Shelter. Similarly, Fat Face decided against offering discounts, instead donating £100,000 of profits to local charities across the UK
Key Takeaways
Approaching Black Friday in the wrong way can hurt your brand’s reputation. If you simply follow the crowd without careful planning, you could potentially alienate your customers and devalue the brand you’ve worked hard to build. Our key takeaways for Black Friday:
You Don’t Have to Participate: It’s not mandatory, if you don’t think it aligns with your brand, you don’t have to participate. Consider promoting a different message entirely that is better suited to your brand.
Get Creative: Instead of following the classic model of heavy discounts, consider other ways to highlight your brand values whilst making the most of this popular period. Consider donations to charity, launching a new product or rewarding your loyal customers.
Share Your Brand Story: Re-connect with your audience and share the story of your brand.
Build Brand Trust: If you are taking part in Black Friday, be transparent. Ensure your offers are genuine and avoid misleading sales tactics.
Are you making a stand against Black Friday this year, or have you gone against the grain with a unique Black Friday campaign? We’d love to share your stories on LinkedIn to help other businesses protect their brand!
Are you making a stand against Black Friday this year, or have you gone against the grain with a unique Black Friday campaign? We’d love to share your stories on LinkedIn to help other businesses protect their brand!
Rebecca Ebdon-Taylor
eCommerce & Project Management Specialist
Rebecca is a Project Manager and Marketing Specialist who has been working in eCommerce since 2012 and has been with Develo since 2022. She became certified in Digital Marketing in 2015. Rebecca enjoys the diversity of digital marketing, no two days are the same and the evolving nature of marketing means she is always learning something new! Outside of work she can be found walking her cocker spaniel or playing netball!
Develo is a leading Magento agency and eCommerce web development company based in Birmingham, in the UK, serving clients globally since 2010. Our Blog covers topics around the array of services our certified Magento Developers offer, including Hyvä themes development, Adobe Commerce, Magento Punchout catalogues, ERP integrations and much more. To speak to a friendly member of the team about your next project, contact us here.