Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would be acutely aware that the Black Friday madness will soon be upon us. Yes, none of us can escape the mad rush and fear of missing out (FOMO).
25 November will see both online and offline businesses offer a variety of discounts to consumers. Familiar catch phrases such as ‘shop and save’, ‘view our latest deals here’, ‘limited time only’ or ‘get 25% off’ will flood our timelines and digital channels like a solar eclipse on pay day for most South African consumers.
As a marketing professional, this is by far the busiest time of the year as consumers begin Christmas shopping and planning for the festive season, whilst businesses have a final push to achieve objectives before staff down tools for the holidays.
At ByDesign, our digital team understands that to fully capitalise on the opportunity, Black Friday is no longer a one day or even a seven day strategy. Rather, it is a thoroughly thought out campaign implemented over multiple weeks leading up to the festive season to stimulate demand by creating hype and excitement well before the 24-hour Black Friday ‘cash-in’ period.
Most of our clients have already told us which products to push, which items need a boost and what their planned Black Friday deals are to ensure sufficient awareness and demand is created leading up to the day.
We are seeing a unique digital environment, as most of our clients are engaging in Black Friday campaigns. However, only 30% of our digital clients have tangible or physical products that can be bought online or instore. The other 70% offer services. This got us thinking: how are service-based organisations adapting to take part in Black Friday?
Here’s what we’ve realised.
- Service-based firms are attempting to make their products more digitally tangible and offering them online as packages. More appointments and programs are being offered as completely bundled items.
- Call to action (CTAs) are less fluffy and adapting from ‘learn more’ or ‘find out more’ to sharper ‘Apply Now’, ‘Register’ or ‘Get Deal’.
- Service-based businesses are starting to dangle more carrots in front of digital consumers by offering ‘free extras’, which include free consultations, extra programs or courses in addition to the packaged service listing. These extras are also incorporating elements of tangible goods for services.
- Service-based businesses are no longer shying away from social media, with services offered in more visually captivating ways. Discount prices are being displayed to book within limited time periods. Images displaying emotion encapsulate the enjoyment of experiencing services whilst provoking positive emotions that can influence purchase behaviour.
- Technology such as augmented reality (AR) and drone video footage is creating realistic expectations between consumers and businesses on service offerings by showcasing services for the near future.
The creativity surrounding Black Friday never ceases to amaze, and whilst different services are marketed utilising various technology often varies, it is surely set to improve. One thing is for certain: the digital landscape is changing, and what was once an ocean between products and services seems to be but a stream.
