Black Friday’s been and gone and it’s safe to say what was once a one-day-a-year event has turned into a month-long affair for marketers and businesses of all shapes and sizes.

In an oversaturated market (I’ve had 230 emails with Black Friday in the subject line in my inbox this month) brands have to think outside the box to stand out from the influx of content on people’s feeds and in their inboxes.

There’s two options for doing Black Friday – either execute a flawless Black Friday marketing strategy, or make a stand and sit it out. Do it well, or don’t do it at all.

And here’s some brands that did it really well…

Great Examples of Effective Black Friday Marketing Strategies

Oddmuse – Data Capture and Drumming Up Hype:

Oddmuse is a fast fashion brand that has gained popularity extremely fast, thanks in big part to founder Aimee Smale’s heavy involvement in their social media channels. Their Black Friday marketing strategy had Aimee involved as well.

She went on TikTok in a conversational FaceTime style video, announcing the sale like she’s talking to a friend. This would be the only sale of this calibre the brand ever does and customers can only get access to the sale via an exclusive link when they sign up to the brand’s mailing list.

This resulted in over 300,000 people signing up to the sale, growing their email list exponentially and increasing their reach and tapping into a new audience.

Refy – Employee Generated Content is King:

Why spend budget on influencers when your biggest asset – your employees – is right here!

Employee generated content has been gaining a lot of momentum in recent months with a lot of brands turning to their staff to feature in photoshoots and campaigns. Refy’s Black Friday marketing strategy focused on EGC, but their campaign stands out from the rest.

Their staff went on TikTok, LinkedIn and Instagram on their personal profiles talking about the sale, tapping into their own networks and reaching consumers in a new and authentic way.

B&O – New Product Release:

B&O dropped the price on a very popular pair of earbuds through Nov. Then, on the day of Black Friday (true demand day), introduced the new, more premium replacement product at full price alongside. Launching it this way will likely sway some people over to the newer pair without discounting them because of the ‘novelty of new’.

But, what if the best Black Friday marketing strategy is not doing Black Friday at all? It certainly works for brands who are focused on sustainability as it aligns with their consumers’ values.

Here’s just a few who do it very well…

Taking a stand – Patagonia & Hiut Denim:

Patagonia: 

Patagonia’s Black Friday marketing strategy is to take a stand and not participate at all. They are emphasizing the purpose driven approach of their business, calling Black Friday a day like any other for their business.

This resonates with consumers, with their LinkedIn post gaining thousands of likes and hundreds of shares..

Hiut Denim: 

Hiut Denim takes a similar sustainability focused approach.

So, should your business take part in Black Friday, or should you sit it out?

Well, it all depends – a generic campaign just adds to the noise and oversaturation of social media and email feeds.

A Black Friday marketing strategy that’s authentic to your business and its values, whether it’s sitting it out completely, letting your employees be your brand advocates, or letting the founder spearhead the campaign or focusing on UGC, can bring good results to your business.