Black Friday, Cyber Monday & Co – why Direct Mail Campaigns are a game changer
Black Friday, Hanukkah, Christmas, and many other holidays are just around the corner – the high season is probably the busiest time of year for your marketing campaigns. But how do you stand out in this (digital) advertising chaos? The answer: with direct mail Automation! Direct mail grabs attention and stays memorable, especially during the high season. In this blog, we’ll show you how clever strategies and omni-channel campaigns can give you the competitive edge.
Black Friday – when is it and what is its meaning?
Black Friday is a phenomenon that has gained importance outside of the USA since the early 2000s. But where does this holiday come from? Black Friday has its origin in the USA and takes part at Friday after Thanksgiving, one of the most important holidays in America. Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November and most Americans take the following Friday off to enjoy the long weekend – or to shop insanely!
That’s why we call it “Black Friday”
On the one hand, the name is derived from accounting. Retailers could turn their balance sheets from red (loss) to black (profit) due to high sales figures on this day. On the other hand, the name is attributed to the police in Philadelphia in the 1960s, who referred to the day as ‘Black Friday’ because of the chaos and traffic caused by the crowds. Today, the day is known worldwide for huge discounts and marks the start of the Christmas shopping season.
For many businesses (especially retail and e-commerce), this day is anything but calm: they use Black Friday to entice their customers to make purchases with special offers and freebies. Often, the promotions start at midnight and provide the perfect kick-off to the Christmas season and the big gift shopping rush. This is also confirmed by a study from PwC, which shows that 71 per cent of respondents look for Christmas presents on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The figures speak for themselves: In 2022 around 5.8 billion euros were spent on online shopping just in Germany over the extended Thanksgiving weekend, including Cyber Monday. It’s no surprise, then, that since 2005 Black Friday has been considered the most lucrative day of the year, both in brick-and-mortar stores and online. But it doesn’t stop there: the shopping frenzy continues in the following days!
On Cyber Monday, there are similar discount battles, especially in e-commerce, while Giving Tuesday offers a great opportunity to give back after all the consumerism. The latter was launched in the USA in 2012, focusing on social engagement, with many people donating to various charitable organisations.
Why is Direct Mail so attractive for high season campaigns?
During the high season, especially around Black Friday and Christmas, the digital space becomes incredibly crowded: emails bombard your customers, Instagram is flooded with ads, as every company is vying for attention. But let’s be honest – how many of these messages are even noticed?
This is where Direct Mail Automation comes in – with significant advantages for you. Imagine a campaign where you reach your customers not only digitally but also physically. An email? It’s quickly overlooked or deleted. But a high-quality direct mail through the post? It lands right in your target audience’s hands and is much harder to forget.
The “Fridge Effect” with Direct Mail Automation
Many people take postcards, self-mailers, or letters from the post and bring them into their homes to read later at their leisure. Especially during the Christmas season, when everyone is looking for gifts for their loved ones, this ensures that your company’s message stays top of mind.
If you offer high-quality products, you need advertising that reflects this. Direct Mail Automation not only feels premium, but it also evokes emotions and ensures your message resonates for longer. This way, your campaign stands out amidst the digital overload – and reaches exactly the customers you want to target.
The refrigerator effect: How to utilize the performance of Direct Mails
Direct mails are becoming more relevant for the design of the media mix (once again), because they offer decisive advantages. The possibilities of modern digital printing, Direct Mail Automation software and the use of data and artificial intelligence allow to manage direct mails like a performance channel.
But how exactly can you, as a business, evoke emotions? For example, through hyperpersonalisation! How cool is it when a large postcard features the recipient’s own name, along with recommendations tailored to their typical purchasing behaviour? That’s exactly what your customers will think, encouraging them to keep the direct mail in their sight.
Your benefit of omni-channel marketing during the high season
To stand out as much as possible during the high season, relying on just one channel isn’t enough. You need a smart combination of different communication channels – this is called omni-channel marketing. A particularly effective strategy is to combine direct mail, app push notifications, website, and email.
Our tip: Outside the high season, omni-channel campaigns typically follow this pattern: You start by sending a series of emails, work with app push notifications, and provide updates on your website, only then following up with Direct Mail Automation.
However, during the high season, you should take the opposite approach. Imagine this: two weeks before Black Friday, you send out a high-quality direct mail that lands directly in the hands of your customers. As a business, this allows you to create incentives for your customers – all perfectly timed and planned.
Just before the official start of Black Friday, you follow up with a targeted email: “Don’t forget your discount voucher!” or “Only 2 days left until the Black Friday discount”. Now you’ve got their full attention because your direct mail has already laid the foundation, and the email reminder boosts the campaign’s conversion rate. This way, you guide your audience through the entire customer journey – from the initial inspiration sparked by your Direct Mail Automation to the final action via email.
The added value becomes especially apparent when you also take into account your customers’ affinities and preferences. The more personalised your campaign – whether through tailored offers or personalised messaging – the greater its impact. By combining direct mail, app push notifications, and email, you leverage the strengths of all performance channels: Direct Mail grabs attention and remains physically present, while emails are flexible, quick, and act as a complementary reinforcement.
This Direct Mail formats are ideal for the High Season
For high-season campaigns, especially around events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Giving Tuesday, it’s all about a quick, cost-effective communication with impact. Certain formats are better suited for this than others. A classic that consistently proves its worth is the postcard – particularly in the maxi format. Not only is this format the most affordable, but it also provides enough space to convey your message clearly and impressively.
Keep in mind: less is more. Instead of long texts and complicated explanations, focus on good images and concentrate on a message that matters for your customers – a discount or other benefits! The letter, another standard format, works brilliantly for high-season and last-minute promotions, as well.
It’s crucial to keep the CLV, or Customer Lifetime Value, of your target audience in mind. The more loyal your customers are, the more you can invest in premium Direct Mail automation formats. In other words: it can be worthwhile to invest in high-quality or higher-priced formats if you’re confident that your customers are particularly receptive to your offers.
Analyse your customers’ buying behaviour using your Customer Data Platform or Marketing Cloud:
- What have they purchased from you?
- When and how frequently did they buy?
- Where did they buy – online or in-store?
- What was the purchase value?
Start your analysis: Use the insights you have to make your message even more targeted and personal. A well-placed, individualised message, combined with a clear visual image, can make your short-term campaign a success.
How you stand out with individual Designs
During the high season you need to stand out and stay memorable – thats what you already know this from blog. To achieve this, your Direct Mail campaign needs to be eye-catching, catchy, and creatively designed. Standard advertising like impersonal flyers and brochures are a thing of the past – today, you need bold ideas and designs to stand out from the crowd.
Why not design an entirely black Direct Mail campaign? Dark elements as a nod to Black Friday immediately grab attention and create a direct link to the event. Or how about an exclusive promotion inspired by Black Friday? One of our clients, Deutsche See, did just that by creating the innovative “Fish Week.” And it doesn’t always have to be about discounts or vouchers in your Direct Mail. Perhaps your campaign could offer a different kind of value: it could be a checklist, a shopping list, or even an elegant invitation to an exclusive event!
Remember, Black Friday used to be an in-store event, while Cyber Monday was solely online. Today, these boundaries are blurred, with many businesses covering both touchpoints. How you reach your customers depends on their shopping preferences. Some love browsing in-store, while others swear by online shopping. With clever segmentation through your Marketing Cloud or CRM, you can find this out and tailor your campaign accordingly.
Checklist: Start with hyperpersonalisation
The demands on marketing and CRM teams are becoming more technological and data-driven. In this checklist, we have summarised for you in a clear and easy-to-understand way how to create the personnel, strategic and technological foundation that enables hyperpersonalisation.
Things to keep in mind when offering incentives or vouchers
When using an incentive like a voucher in your campaigns during Black Friday or Black Week, there are a few key things to keep in mind. The most important point: percentage-based discounts often have a greater impact than fixed amounts. A “20 percent” discount sounds more appealing to customers than a “10 euro discount.” This has psychological reasons: percentage discounts appear more dynamic and premium – especially when the purchase value is higher, which also increases the discount.
To offer the right discount to the right customers, you need to know your customers well. Loyal customers might not need a high discount or voucher at all, but rather a different kind of incentive that reinforces their status – for example, an invitation to an exclusive event. On the other hand, customers who aren’t yet fully committed to your brand might build more trust through a discount of ten to twenty percent.
Keep an eye on postal deliveries
The months of November and December are always peak time for direct mail campaigns – everything needs to run quickly and smoothly. But don’t worry: it might sound ambitious, but with the right strategy, it’s absolutely possible to get a direct mail campaign up and running even now. If you’re planning your campaign, we recommend taking advantage of the entire Black Week rather than focusing solely on Black Friday.
Why? It’s simple: this way, you give your customers more time to redeem their vouchers or offers. When it comes to postal deliveries, keep in mind the ‘E+8 rule’ – meaning your postcards, self-mailers, or letters will arrive within eight days. For campaigns with volumes of up to 200,000 mailings, this standard timeframe is guaranteed. Anything beyond that may take longer.
Conclusion: Direct Mail campaigns are worth it during the high season
We hope this blog article has shed some light and provided you with valuable insights into direct mail during the high season. Do you have any questions or need support with planning your campaigns? Get in touch with us and let’s plan your successful direct mail campaign together!