Black Friday vs. Green Friday — The evolution of e-commerce marketing

5 min reading time

It's timeeee! The air is filled with the scent of sales, the shelves are filled with discounts, and your bank account takes a leap. Black Friday has arrived! Before you dive into the hustle and bustle of scoring the best deals, we want to introduce a shift in the marketing landscape.

Where Black Friday was long known as the time for massive discounts and chaotic shopping streets, we are now seeing more and more attention for sustainability and conscious consumption. That's why a new initiative is gaining ground: Green Friday, a movement that encourages awareness and action to counterbalance Black Friday!

In this blog, we'll dive into how marketing strategies around Black Friday are changing, the impact of the Green Friday movement, and what you can do as an e-commerce company to both achieve commercial success and meet the growing demand for sustainability.

Black Friday: the king of discounts

Black Friday originated in the United States, but is now a global phenomenon. For many companies, it is the opportunity to significantly increase their turnover in a short time by offering big discounts. Web shops are preparing months in advance to take advantage of the buying frenzy, with the aim of attracting new customers, increasing brand awareness and reducing inventory before the year comes to an end.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of Black Friday marketing:

1. Using data and AI for targeting

Data analysis and AI can help provide targeted promotions that meet the needs of different customer segments. For example, you can send a sporting customer a promotion for sporting goods, while a tech enthusiast just receives an offer for gadgets. Data and AI ensure that customers receive offers that match their interests, significantly increasing the chances of conversions. Use data from previous years to understand what works or doesn't work.

2. Multichannel strategy

Customers don't just shop through one channel. Make sure your campaigns are clearly visible on social media, email, and paid ads. Social media like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and even livestream shopping are starting to play a bigger role during Black Friday. By offering multiple touchpoints, you increase the chance of conversion.

3. Creating urgency

An effective Black Friday strategy is to create urgency and scarcity, a technique of influence by Cialdini. Use timers, countdowns, and limited inventory alerts to encourage customers to buy quickly. People don't want to miss out, and this sense of scarcity motivates them to take action. In addition, Black Friday offers an opportunity to reward loyal customers, for example with exclusive offers or early access. For a customer, we work with a pre-order: regular customers get access to Black Friday discounts two weeks earlier than the rest of the audience.

Time for change, called Green Friday.

Green Friday is an initiative by Trees for All Foundation, which calls for not participating in the overconsumption that characterizes Black Friday, but instead to pay attention to sustainability and nature. Where Black Friday is about quick impulse purchases, Green Friday wants to encourage consumers and companies to consider their choices and contribute to a better environment.

For companies, Green Friday offers an opportunity to stand out and show their sustainable values. Here are a few ways you can capitalize on this trend:

1. Conscious Consumption Campaigns

You can use Green Friday to conduct awareness campaigns. Donate part of the proceeds to environmental projects or non-profit organizations that work on sustainability, for example to protect forests or clean up plastic from the ocean.

2. Repair discounts and trade-in programs

Offer customers discounts on repairs or updates to existing products, if this is appropriate for your industry. This makes it more attractive to repair products instead of buying new items. In addition to offering discounts, you can also set up a trade-in program. Offers a trade-in program where customers can return old products and receive a discount on new products. This reduces waste and extends the lifespan of products.

3. Transparency and Reliability

Consumers are increasingly valuing transparency. When you communicate clearly about sustainability efforts, for example through CO2 compensation, you can count on loyalty from a growing number of customers. Education also plays a role in this: inform your customers about sustainability and the importance of environmentally friendly choices. Another way is to inform your customers about sustainable packaging options, such as biodegradable or reusable packaging, and reward them for reusing or returning packaging. This can be done via blogs, social media or newsletters.

How other companies came before you!

Warby Parker, an online eyewear retailer, has a program called “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair,” where they donate a pair to someone in need for every pair of glasses sold. Ikea is temporarily transforming into a thrift store where customers can trade in their old furniture. Funky Fruit, an online store for healthy food, has organized Green Friday initiatives in the past where they donate a percentage of their sales to tree planting projects. They encourage customers to make sustainable choices on this day.

Can Black Friday and Green Friday co-exist?

We understand that the transition from Black to Green Friday can be a big step! Of course, the strongest option is to choose for Black or Green Friday! This allows you to clearly show what you stand for as a company. Is this step too big for now? Then try to apply more and more Green Friday initiatives to eventually take the step towards full sustainability without Black Friday discounts.

Strategies for balancing commercial success and sustainability:

• Long-term strategy: launch a “Green Friday” follow-up campaign. Try to keep your customers engaged in the period after Black Friday and always promote sustainable initiatives.
• Encourage conscious choices: reward customers who make sustainable choices with discount coupons for future purchases.
• Reuse is hip: implement a program where customers can return old products for recycling or reuse, and give them a discount on new purchases in return.

From buying craze to green choices

The shift from Black Friday to Green Friday reflects the wider trend towards conscious consumption and sustainability in e-commerce. It is important to respond to these changing values. By finding a balance, as an e-commerce company, you can not only profit from the buying rage, but also build loyalty with a new generation of consumers who make conscious choices.

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