The Five Things Your Brand Can Do To Own Black Friday

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Make Your Brand’s Take on Black Friday One To Remember

There’s no shortage of competition on Black Friday. The inbox gets loud. Ads get aggressive. And everyone’s “biggest sale of the year” starts to sound exactly the same.

But for founders who treat Black Friday as a brand moment—not just a discount window—it’s an opportunity to stand out, scale attention, and signal what makes you different.

Here are five brand-forward moves your startup can make this season to cut through the noise, drive meaningful engagement, and win new believers.

1. Make Your Offer Unmistakably Yours

What to know:
The promo isn’t the differentiator. How you present it is. Frame your offer in a way that only your brand could.

If your identity is rooted in premium quality, don’t race to the bottom with a 50% off discount. If you’re playful, ditch the stiff and tired “Cyber Week” clichés and use refreshing humor to set the tone. Make your offering uniquely your own. 

Example: Allbirds
Instead of doing a chaotic 40%–70% markdown like many apparel brands, Allbirds stuck to a single, clear, values‑aligned Black Friday move: they raised prices by $1 and donated the difference to environmental causes. It was bold, unmistakably on‑brand, and instantly recognizable as an Allbirds thing, not a generic holiday discount.

What to do:
Craft a headline and subject line that sounds like you wrote it (not a Shopify plugin). Even better? Lead with why the offer exists (e.g. to thank your earliest fans, to celebrate a milestone, to clean out last year’s inventory). Context creates emotional stickiness.

2. Build a Black Friday Experience (Not Just a Page)

What to know:
Most brands build a landing page for limited-time offers. Great brands build an experience.

That means:

• Thoughtful copy that reinforces your voice

• Visual design that matches your aesthetic

• Surprise-and-delight moments (like gifts with purchase, early access, or Easter eggs)

Example: Canva
Instead of just pitching a sale on its premium features, creative tools platform Canva once ran a creative contest tied to Black Friday. Users could submit themed designs using a branded template, driving engagement and exploration of the platform’s full capabilities, all while reinforcing Canva’s community-forward brand identity.

What to do:
Your sale page should feel like something special…yet connected to your brand. Even if you’re discounting, the customer shouldn’t feel like they landed in a clearance bin.

3. Start the Story Before the Sale

What to know:
Get your audience emotionally warmed up before the discount drops.
Let them in on your thinking. Tease the drop. Share your ethos. That way, when the sale hits, it doesn’t feel like a grab. Instead, it feels like a gift.

Example: Blue Bottle Coffee
Specialty coffee roaster and retailer Blue Bottle Coffee used storytelling and email drips to build anticipation for a limited-edition holiday box. They didn't decide to just sell coffee; they built up meaning leading up to the offer with a rich narrative about winter rituals.

What to do:
If you only show up on the day of the sale, you’re just another subject line. Start the narrative 3–5 days ahead. Remind people what you stand for. Then let the offer be the cherry on top.

4. Design for Loyalty, Not Just Conversion

What to know:
Use Black Friday as a way to seed long-term engagement, not one-time transactions. Think retention from the first click.

This could look like:

• Surprise discounts for newsletter subscribers

• Re-engagement emails for lapsed customers

• First access for community members

Example: BarkBox
Instead of treating Black Friday as a one-off sale, pet subscription box service BarkBox used it as a gateway to long-term retention. Their offer always points customers toward multi-month subscription plans, and the post‑purchase experience includes playful onboarding, pet-personalized emails, and follow-up offers that feel fun rather than transactional. The result: Black Friday buyers stick around far longer than the typical seasonal shopper.

What to do:
Make people feel seen. Use this moment to elevate—not dilute—the value of being in your orbit.

5. Measure What Actually Moves Brand Affinity

What to know:
Track more than revenue. If you want to grow brand equity, measure behaviors that signal belief, not just buying.

Key signals:

• Email clickthroughs (to founder notes or story pages)

• Social engagement on brand-led posts (vs. just sale CTAs)

• Returning customer rates from Black Friday/Cyber Monday cohorts

Example: Everlane
Clothing retailer Everlane doesn’t judge Black Friday solely on revenue; they evaluate metrics tied to trust. Their “Black Friday Fund,” where a portion of sales supports factory workers or environmental initiatives, consistently boosts email engagement, repeat visits, and press mentions. The campaign deepens alignment with their core value—radical transparency—and they track that lift just as closely as purchases.

What to do:
Don’t just ask: “Did this make money?”
Ask: “Did this make meaning?”
Because meaning leads to margins.

Final Thought

Black Friday is a branding moment hiding in plain sight.

Use it to:
✅ Reinforce what makes you unique
✅ Deliver experience, not just discounts
✅ Grow loyalty, not just traffic

You don’t need a massive ad budget to win Black Friday.
You just need brand clarity, creative conviction, and a plan.

So…what story is your sale telling?

Until next time, best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving

…and a fantastic Black Friday!

Best,

Edwin