Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Co. – how companies successfully sell during this time of year
Marketing
Posted 22 Oct 2020
The shopping quarter of the year is coming up again and along with it, big events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the Christmas season, and winter sales. These are both exciting and crucial times, in which especially companies from the consumer electronics sector can achieve the highest turnover of the whole year.
In recent years, online sales have already grown rapidly. Now with the new challenges brought on by the COVID 19 pandemic, new online shoppers, who before the pandemic tended to prefer in-store shopping, can be recognized as a target group.
To exploit the enormous potential that is available this year for online trade in the consumer electronics sector, it is essential to attract attention through early marketing campaigns. We provide tips on how to create buzz around upcoming events to make the fourth quarter your most successful.
In 2019, 57.8 billion euros in sales were generated in Germany through e-commerce. This represents an increase of 62.4 percent over 2014. 17 percent of total sales are already generated online over the Christmas season (83.8 percent more than five years ago). E-commerce is growing rapidly and COVID-19 has further boosted online shopping.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, an increase in new target groups have also been encountered online. In 2020, 40 percent of Silver Surfers (customers over 50) used search engines to research products. In 2019, that figure was at 33 percent. This shows that general online trade has already increased enormously in recent years and that new target groups are being reached.
Read also: Alibaba and Freshippo: China’s pioneers in the retail revolution
In the last quarter of the year, numerous major events are scheduled for the retail sector, which are considered important across all industries. The consumer electronics sector in particular offers great potential since more cost-intensive purchases are increasingly being made before the holidays.
On November 27th, Black Friday marks the start of the shopping season. This is followed by Cyber Monday, or Cyber Week, before the Advent season begins, during which numerous Christmas-gift purchases are made. The end of the holiday season and the turn of the year indicates winter sales when the winter sales begin and store gift cards and credits from the holidays are redeemed.
Here are the upcoming major events at a glance:
November 27: Black Friday
November 30: Cyber Monday / Start of the Cyber Week
December 1: Start of the Christmas season
January 2: Start of the after Christmas season
If you want to sell your products during the Christmas season or Black Friday, you should start generating attention early. It is important to start actively promoting the offers one to two weeks before the event. Even if the company is working towards the Christmas season, it is strategically wise to also take advantage of the previous events. On Black Friday, 62 percent of Christmas gifts are purchased.
Also spontaneous purchases are more typical at this time, as consumer electronics products are considered a high-involvement area, with users being well informed before buying. During these events, the chance of spontaneous purchases is higher.
To draw the greatest possible attention to your products on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or during the Christmas season, there are different measures to be taken to remain in the buyer’s memory. It is important to start early on to generate enough attention before the events.
If you advertise online, you should place your ads online early. For instance, most searches are made the week of Black Friday, leading up to the day of. If you successfully place your ads here, you can already generate a large reach before that day.
A landing page is an effective way to display the products on offer for each event. Through a landing page integrated into the website, products are placed centrally and the customers can easily find their way around. It is advisable to use an integrated countdown to visualize the start of sales for the users. Delivery information can also be decisive for the purchase. Inform your buyers about the period in which you guarantee the delivery. This information is especially important before Christmas.
If a landing page serves as a central point of contact, further communication should focus on getting users on the page.
Sending reminder e-mails to customers and communication via social media are further measures that remind potential buyers about the start of the respective sales days.
In the online sector, advertising costs are higher than usual during Black Friday or the Christmas season. When placing ads, it is important to keep an eye on the budget. According to Google, search queries are at their highest in the morning. When posting ads, make sure you have enough budget to avoid reaching the limit after a few days, as you will miss potential prospects.
The beginning of pre-Christmas sales starts directly after Black Friday. Due to the numerous events in the fourth quarter, it makes sense to link the advertising activities. Add your generated Black Friday contacts to a retargeting list and use them for renewed addresses such as Christmas offers, winter sales, or the address next year.
Due to the upcoming promotions and holidays, the last quarter is considered particularly exciting in retail. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the Christmas season, and the winter sales offer enormous potential for selling your products. Even if it seems that the products do not fit into the sales scheme, spontaneous offers often tempt the customer to buy. The most important insight is to start generating attention early on and to keep an eye on the budget to not lose important leads.
We also provide support on a project basis and advise you on marketing and PR measures around the high turnover last quarter. Contact us and together we will discuss your options for future activities.
About the author
Melanie Kehl
Account Assistant at HBI Helga Bailey GmbH – International PR & MarCom
Melanie Kehl has been in charge of HBI’s internal marketing activities since 2017. As a student in the field of online marketing, she is responsible for the implementation of SEA and SEO campaigns, setting up landing pages and writing articles.
