For e-commerce companies, the Black Friday marketing campaign is a fantastic way to raise sales and build brand recognition. In this blog post, we’ll explore 15 successful BFCM case studies from top e-commerce brands. These campaigns offer valuable insights and inspiration for your own Black Friday strategy.

• Glossier: Using inclusivity and limited editions.
• Gymshark: Building hype with social media and early access
• REI: Opting out of Black Friday (Opt outside campaign).
• Amazon: Leveraging data to personalize deals.
• Target: Combining in-store and online experiences.
• Warby Parker: Keeping it simple with a single offer.
• Best Buy: Leveraging technology for seamless customer experience.
• Patagonia: Using Black Friday to support social causes.
• Walmart: Winning with flash deals.
• Casper: Utilizing email marketing for targeted Black Friday sales.
• ASOS: Influencer partnerships for maximum reach.
• Macy’s: Capitalizing on tradition with Thanksgiving Day parade promotions.
• Apple: Focusing on bundles and gift cards.
• TOMS: One-for-one charity campaign on Black Friday.
• Bonobos: Using humor to stand out in a crowded market.

Key elements of a successful Black Friday marketing campaign

In another article, 20+ Black Friday marketing strategies, we talk about some important things to remember when planning your Black Friday campaign. It includes:

• Create a sense of urgency and scarcity as Glossier does by having limited-time sales.
• Tell a good story that connects with your customers. For example, REI promotes outdoor activities on Black Friday instead of shopping. This displays their environmental concern and matches consumer ideals.

We’ll talk more about these successful BFCM campaigns in the next sections.

1. Glossier: Using inclusivity and limited editions

In January 2023, they started selling their products in stores like Sephora, which helps even more people find them. Even more special when Glossier special is that they only have sales on Black Friday. This creates a lot of urgency and scarcity and makes people want to buy their products.

So, what lesson can we learn from Glossier’s Black Friday marketing campaign?

You can learn by focusing on value and being inclusive; we will build loyalty and sell more products.

2. Gymshark: Building hype with social media and early access

Influencers can help you promote Black Friday specials. Gymshark is a good example of this. They work with fitness influencers to promote early sales on social media.

Here’s what we can learn from Gymshark: Find influencers who fit your brand. 

As you can see in the image above, Gymshark works with fitness influencers because their customers are interested in fitness.

3. REI: Opting out of Black Friday (Opt outside campaign)

Most stores get excited about Black Friday sales, but REI, an outdoor gear store, is doing something different. While other stores are counting down to their sales, REI is actually counting down to closing their stores on Black Friday.

Rather than holding a discount, REI chose to shut its shop and urge people to enjoy the outdoors. A lot of people are taking notice of this daring action.

Even though they didn’t make any money on Black Friday, their hashtag #OptOutside got 2.1 million hits on Facebook, which is great for the brand’s reach and doesn’t end with holiday sales.

So, what lesson can we learn from it?

Although the ultimate goal of business is still to make a profit, REI has shown that being authentic and having a clear purpose can be more important than just offering big discounts to create a consumer mentality.

We think buyers liked REI’s Black Friday marketing campaign because they connected with its customers. Their buyers like being outside and being close to nature. It was nothing more than REI reminding its fans of what they love.

#OptOutside taught us how important ideals are—we are people first, then customers. We know that REI’s plan might not work for all brands, but it’s a good lesson to discover new and unique ways to stand out during the online holiday sales.

4. Amazon: Leveraging data to personalize deals

Most people get a lot of emails, especially during the holidays. If you annoy your customers with too many emails, they might stop subscribing to your emails.

Amazon knows this, so they leverage data based on qualified items in customers’ Wish List, Carts, or Saved for Later lists to send personalized deals.

What can we learn from Amazon’s Black Friday marketing campaign?

Even if you’re not a huge company, you can use data and personalization to make your customers happy. We have guided enhanced personalization with AI-driven recommendations in the article 20+ Black Friday marketing strategies; you can refer to it.

5. Target: Combining in-store and online experiences

Target is a great example of how to combine online and in-store shopping. As their logo: “Drive Up. Wrap Up”, they let customers order online and pick up their stuff in the store. This is really convenient and helps them sell more.

The BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store) approach also helped Target better handle its stock by making sure that items could be picked up.

What can we learn from Target’s BFCM case studies?

By making it easy for customers to shop both online and in-store, you can create a better shopping experience and sell more.

6. Warby Parker: Keeping it simple with a single offer

On Black Friday, people want the best deals. But if the deals are too complicated, customers might give up. Warby Parker understands this. They have a simple Black Friday offer: buy two pairs of glasses and save 15%. There are no other rules or conditions.

So, what can we learn from them?

People will be able to understand your offer and buy from you more easily if you keep things easy. This is very important during Black Friday sales when there are lots of deals to pick from.

7. Best Buy: Leveraging technology for seamless customer experience

The next BFCM marketing success story is Best Buy. Black Friday can be a frustrating time for shoppers, with long lines and uncertainty about product availability. However, Best Buy uses technology to create a smoother experience for their customers.

Imagine finding the perfect TV online, only to discover it’s sold out when you get to the store. It’s not a problem with Best Buy’s mobile app. It shows real-time inventory levels, so customers can see if the item is in stock at your local store before you even leave the house.

So, what can we learn from Best Buy?

By integrating these technologies, Best Buy minimizes customer frustration and makes shopping for Black Friday deals a more enjoyable experience.

Customers can shop earlier, check availability instantly, and even score exclusive deals – all thanks to their commitment to a smooth customer journey. This approach is a major advantage during Black Friday’s high-volume sales.

8. Patagonia: Using Black Friday to support social causes

REI decided to skip Black Friday this year, but another company called Patagonia did something really special. According to CNBC’s blog, after making $10M in Black Friday sales, Patagonia is donating it all to save the planet.

Patagonia is known for being a company that cares about the environment. Thanks to that, they also attract a community of like-minded people. According to a Capgemini report, 77% of companies say their sustainability initiatives actually increase customer loyalty.

What can we learn from Patagonia?

We can use Black Friday to do something good for the planet. While donating all profits, as Patagonia has done, isn’t something most businesses can do, there are other ways you can show your support for social causes. For example:

• Showcase sustainable or ethically sourced products.
• Promote sustainable practices, such as recycling or reducing waste.

TOMS’ BFCM marketing lessons in part 14 below will give you more ideas.

9. Walmart: Winning with flash deals

Walmart is another great example of a company that does a good job of combining online and in-store shopping. They also have flash sales on Black Friday.

Especially by having separate sales for in-store and online shopping, Walmart can get more people to come to their stores and buy things online.

What can we learn from Walmart?

Old but gold, creating a sense of urgency with flash deals is still a great way to get people excited and make them want to buy things.

10. Casper: Utilizing email marketing for targeted Black Friday sales

Casper sends interesting emails, and Black Friday is no exception. As you can see in the image below, the cushion and present box image is lovely. They target customers who have purchased mattresses or other products from them, showing they understand them.

This email talks about sleep as a gift and has a special discount code that customers can only use for a limited time.

What can we learn from Casper?

Sending personalized and targeted emails to specific users is one of the best ways to use BFCM email marketing. This could help you get more people to enjoy your business and buy your goods.

11. ASOS: Influencer partnerships for maximum reach

Similar to Gymshark’s fashion brand, ASOS worked with a lot of influencers to promote its Black Friday sale.

What can we learn from ASOS?

Working with influencers can help you create great BFCM social media content that your target audience will love. This can be especially effective for younger people.

12. Macy’s: Capitalizing on tradition with Thanksgiving Day parade promotions

Macy’s is smart about how they do Black Friday. They connect their sales with the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is a big event that a lot of people watch. This creates a fun and exciting shopping atmosphere.

Macy’s also starts offering deals early in November, which helps build excitement and anticipation for Black Friday. This gets people excited and brings them to their stores and websites.

What can we learn from Macy’s?

You can get more people to notice your brand and make your marketing work better by linking it to well-known events or holidays. This works really well if the event fits with what your brand stands for.

13. Apple: Focusing on bundles and gift cards

Apple is the second industry-specific BFCM campaign. Apple doesn’t offer discounts on its products on Black Friday. When customers purchased certain Apple products on Black Friday in 2023, Apple handed them Apple Gift Cards. 

That’s because Apple wants to keep up its image as a high-end company. By not offering big deals, they keep up their high-end image and keep their goods’ values from dropping.

What can we learn from Apple?

If you sell high-end products, offering value through bundles instead of deep discounts can help you maintain your brand’s reputation and still encourage people to buy.

14. TOMS: One-for-one charity campaign on Black Friday

Continuing the story of doing business for the community, we have TOMS’s campaign example. They asked people to take pictures of their bare feet or their TOMS shoes and use the hashtag #withoutshoes.

For every pair of shoes bought, they donated a pair to someone who needed them. Blake Mycoskie, Toms’ founder, even said they would donate up to 100,000 pairs of shoes to children in 10 countries.

What can we learn from TOMS? 

By focusing on charity and helping others, you can attract customers who care about the same things you do.

15. Bonobos: Using humor to stand out in a crowded market

Some clothes brands, like Bonobos, use fun in their social media ads for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They made material for Black Friday that was funny and easy to remember, which helped them stand out. 

One of their tweets used the funny phrase “TTYL” to mean that the customer had missed out on the sale. They also used a picture of a vintage phone to make it even funnier.

What can we learn from Bonobo’s Black Friday marketing campaign? 

Adding humor and personality to your marketing can help your brand stand out and be more memorable.

FAQs about running a Black Friday campaign

How to do a Black Friday campaign?

Begin your e-commerce Black Friday strategy preparation well in advance to capitalize on early shoppers and create buzz. It starts from:

• Get ready for Black Friday by making plans now.
• Prepare your page for large amounts of traffic.
• Make the mobile experience better. 

We have 27 steps to prepare for successful BFCM strategies for small ecommerce businesses; read it for more details.

What is the meaning of Black Friday in marketing?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the US. In order to get people to shop during the Christmas season, stores offer big deals today. 

What is a BFCM campaign?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) campaigns are a type of marketing that focus on pushing deals and prices in the days after Thanksgiving. Its goal is to make a lot more sales. 

Final thoughts

One of the best buying days of the year is Black Friday. Seeing how big brands like Glossier, Gymshark, REI, and others handle Black Friday can teach you a lot about how to make your small e-commerce business successful with BFCM.

By following this inspiration from the top Black Friday marketing campaigns of 2023, you can create a successful and memorable shopping experience for your customers.