Tell us about how your company is preparing for Black Friday 2018.
At Digital Trends, we’re all-in on the Black Friday shopping season. We’ve been strategizing and planning for months and involving just about every department in the company. No one is off the hook. And even though the shopping event lands on a company holiday, many of us will put in more time than any other days in the year.
What do you think of global retail events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Are they a positive thing for your business or do they make your job harder?
Both. It is the most positive and the most challenging time of the year for us. We have the opportunity to earn a significant portion of our annual revenue all within one week, but that requires a lot of work and a lot of support other teams. The return should make it all worth it.
What value can affiliates contribute to an advertiser’s objectives during Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
While advertisers have many levers to pull to get eyeballs on their promotions, there’s something special about publishers featuring them in content. As publishers, we each have our own strategies and methods to tap into our new audiences that advertisers want to reach.
How do you think Black Friday and the wider Cyber Weekend are evolving? What do you think these events will look like in the future?
We’re already seeing the trends. Major retailers will continue to move away from doorbuster deals on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Cyber Monday and online shopping will continue take over in-store buying. Many merchants will release their deals even earlier than Thanksgiving, and some extended the promotions into December, which will turn an extended weekend of shopping into two weeks or more.
What one tip would you give to fellow companies participating in Black Friday activity this year?
Be true to your brand and audience. You may want to dive into popular product categories even if your company normally wouldn’t cover those areas. But, you’ll have a better opportunity succeeding in areas where you’ve already established a voice.
To learn more about Black Friday 2018 opportunities on our network, contact your account manager or our publisher management team.
