Black Friday

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is an international retail event when both physical shops and online businesses offer significant discounts and promotions. The day always falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US, and it traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. It's a period when consumers actively look for the best deals, and when businesses compete for visibility across digital channels such as Google, social media and email.

In Denmark, Black Friday really started to take shape around 2013, when online shops were among the first to adopt the concept. Today, many Danish brands have extended the period to what is often called Black Week or even Black Month, because the campaigns run for longer than the original single day. In other words, Black Friday isn't just a date, but a strategic phase in the year's retail calendar.

Although its origins lie in American retail, the term has gained a global foothold. In Germany, for example, they have “Black Week”, while French shops refer to the period as “Vendredi noir” or “Vendredi fou”. Whatever the name, it all comes down to the same thing: creating a short but intense peak in sales and making the most of consumers' readiness to buy.

How do you use your knowledge of Black Friday?

If you work in marketing, understanding Black Friday is about being able to harness momentum at the right time. That means you need to think about planning, preparation and communication long before the day itself arrives. Most consumers start researching and comparing prices well in advance, which is why your campaign needs to be present when searches rise on Google and traffic on social media starts to grow.

This is where both SEO and SEM play a crucial role. Your products need to rank highly when users search for deals, and your ads need precise targeting so you reach the people already showing purchase intent. At the same time, your visual content in banners, videos and campaign graphics needs to be recognisable and create a clear narrative that supports your brand. In other words, Black Friday isn't just about discounts, but also about orchestrating your entire digital setup so you get the most out of every interaction in the customer journey.

Why do you need to know about Black Friday?

Black Friday represents a rare combination: extremely high demand and high competition at the same time. That's exactly why it's crucial to understand how consumers behave and which mechanisms drive their decisions. Many are actively in buying mode and are just waiting for the right offer, which makes campaign and bidding strategies more effective than in almost any other period of the year.

Data shows that a large share of shopping takes place on mobile devices, and that paid ads account for a significant share of conversions. If you work with Google Ads or Meta Ads, that means you need to plan your budget early and monitor performance closely throughout the campaign. Combined with solid organic visibility from SEO and email marketing, it can make the difference between a successful result and an average one.

At a strategic level, Black Friday also gives brands an opportunity to reach new customers. A targeted awareness campaign in the weeks leading up to it can build relationships that go far beyond the sales day itself. That's why many marketing teams use Black Friday as an acquisition period rather than a one-off sale.

How do you handle Black Friday in practice?

It takes more than just cutting prices. You need to structure your efforts across channels so your campaigns work together and support the same goal. Start by mapping the entire customer journey: from awareness to purchase and on to repeat sales. That way, you make sure your marketing activities work together to sustain momentum throughout the shopping period.

Mobile optimisation is often the first step. Pages that load quickly and offer a simple checkout via, for example, Apple Pay or MobilePay convert significantly better. At the same time, you should have your technical SEO in order, so users can easily find your products when they search for “Black Friday deals”. In this context, it can make sense to create dedicated landing pages that keep their authority year after year and strengthen your position in search engines.

On social media, you should use both paid and organic content to create engagement. Use stories, short videos or countdown elements to build anticipation. In email marketing, you can segment lists by previous purchases or product interest, so your messages feel personal and relevant. Remember that many customers only make up their minds in the last few hours before midnight, so it can pay to plan last-minute sends strategically.

An example of a plan could be:

The most important thing is to keep a data-driven focus throughout the period. Measure across your channels, monitor ROAS and adjust quickly when market dynamics change. Black Friday is dynamic, and you can expect rising CPC levels, increasing competition and consumers moving at a faster pace. How you respond to these signals determines whether you get the full return on your efforts.

What should you be aware of?

Although Black Friday is often associated with short campaigns, it's a period that can affect brand perception long afterwards. Too many discounts can dilute the value of your brand, while a lack of transparency around prices can create distrust. That's why you should work with clear price messaging, fair communication and an honest brand tone in everything you publish. That applies to ads, social media and emails alike.

You also need to be aware that customers expect fast delivery, good customer service and a seamless purchase flow. Part of the planning should therefore be close collaboration between marketing, warehouse, customer service and logistics, so you avoid bottlenecks during the critical days. When you combine the organisational aspects with a solid digital setup, Black Friday can become a learning opportunity you build on the following year – instead of seeing it as just a one-off sales rush.