Originally a US concept, Black Friday is now routinely the busiest day of the year for both on- and offline retailers around the world. Despite being a relatively new concept for the UK, Black Friday and more recently, Cyber Monday, have become two of the nation’s biggest shopping days. In 2021, the UK accounted for ​​over 10 percent of all global Black Friday searches online, with British consumers spending a total of 9.42 billion over the course of the weekend.

As UK shoppers jump at the chance to bag a bargain amid annual sales, this retail phenomenon has created a significant marketing opportunity for brands and businesses to attract new customers in the lead up to the holiday period.

To understand who these Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers are and how best to reach them, we built a bespoke audience study using aggregated key persona tribe data across common Black Friday interest areas, including Tech, Deal-Seekers and Online Shoppers. We then overlaid our results with a social listening analysis to identify the communities who are actively engaging with conversations around “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” online. 

Here’s what we found:

Meet the money-saving mums

The primary tribe within the study were Deal Seekers, who accounted for almost a third of the total study. Influencers for this group ranged from mainstream retailers like Peter Jones, M&S and Waitrose, to womenswear brands like Topshop and Missguided. This is a largely female tribe made up of mums looking to save on both the latest fashion and beauty trends, as well as everyday household items. The mainstream nature of their influencers suggest that they have a real penchant for big brand names, which means marketers looking to engage these Deal-Seekers would do well to focus on creating open and honest ads that focus on building brand trust.

Next-gen deal-seekers

The data in our study strongly suggests that Black Friday and Cyber Monday appeal strongly with thrifty younger generations. Thematic analysis indicates that their interests skew towards Gen Z, with key influencers spanning universities, boy bands and content creators. Gen Zers tend to show a certain degree of tech-savviness and this tribe is no different. Their passion points also revealed a keen desire to stay up-to-date with the latest tech trends. Video games were a top category of interest amongst several of these younger tribes, implying that their engagement with the Black Friday conversation is largely for a chance to find deals on gaming tech.

Sporty shoppers sprint to the sales

Another notable tribe within this study was Fitness Enthusiasts, which indexed as the fourth largest tribe and represents a community that is largely focused on athletics, weight loss, the gym and nutrition. Given the traditionally high price point of sports and fitness equipment, these individuals will likely be engaging with Black Friday to grab the best deals on their sport-focused gear. Their prominence within the study, however, also indicates a general interest in discounts that is larger than their tribe name would suggest, highlighting the importance for brands to acknowledge their consumers’ wider interests, irrespective of their product.

Conclusion

The dominant audiences within this study paint a clear and precise picture for marketers looking to reach shoppers engaging with Black Friday sales. With the cost of living crisis pulling on purse strings, consumers of all generations are seeking out seasonal deals. Considering their influence on driving retail trends, Gen Zers are an especially important audience to keep in mind when building seasonal campaigns. And based on the interests we uncovered, the messaging aimed at this younger crowd needs to be innovative and on-trend.

Additionally, Sports and Fitness offer an interesting opportunity to reach beyond the “low-hanging fruit” audiences of Deal-Seekers. By taking into account their customers’ secondary interests, such as sport, brands and retailers of any industry have the chance to increase brand engagement and reach new audiences. Whatever the product, successful marketing strategies start with a fundamental understanding of what your target customer cares about and a brand story that aligns with those core values.

To learn more about how Fifty can help you tap into what Black Friday & Cyber Monday customers care about and boost sales this holiday season, drop us an email at hello@fifty.io or book a demo with us directly.