Overview: This case study details the successful Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) strategy I developed for a prominent fashion retailer. This strategy, was implemented in Q4 2022 and capitalized on insights from the previous year’s BFCM performance to achieve great results.

Background: To prepare for BFCM 2022, I carefully analyzed the prior year’s performance. Two key findings from BFCM 2021 significantly influenced my strategic approach for the upcoming BFCM season:

1. No Ad Spend During BFCM 2021: There was an absence of advertising expenditure during and in the months leading to BFCM 2021.
2. Returning Customers Made Bulk of Purchases: 84% of orders during the event coming from returning customers.
3. Influencer-Driven BFCM Strategy: In BFCM 2021, influencer posts in the weeks and days leading up to Black Friday played a vital role in getting their customers activated for Black Friday. However, this client’s influencer program had been scaled back in mid-2022 and was not a lever I could pull in BFCM 2022.

Strategy Development (August-October): Building on these insights, I developed a comprehensive strategy that began in late August and extended until early November. The core components of this strategy included:

1. Building on Previous Success: I leveraged the successful elements of the previous year’s BFCM as a foundation for optimizations.
2. Enabling Checkout on Social Media Shops: To enhance the shopping experience and streamline the customer journey, I activated checkout options on Instagram and Facebook shops.
3. Collaboration with Meta’s Shop Ads Team: Recognizing the importance of Meta’s advertising platforms, I closely collaborated with Meta’s Shop Ads team to set up Advantage Plus Shopping campaigns, Meta’s newest campaign type.
4. Strategic Budget Allocation: I allocated a total budget of $54,000, with $25,000 of that amount being a Facebook ad credit. This budget was strategically invested throughout September and October to maximize customer acquisition before the holiday season.

Results and Outcomes: By the end of October, the results were nothing short of remarkable:

• The client’s Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) reached an exceptional 6.1X, highlighting the efficiency and effectiveness of this strategic effort.
• Meta attributed revenue surged to upwards of $234,000, making October one of their strongest sales months of the year, even prior to the start of BFCM.
• An impressive 29% of customers we acquired through Meta during September and October went on to place orders during BFCM 2022. This can be attributed to audience amplification resulting from the boost in ad spend in the preceding months.

Key Takeaways:

1. Early Investment Pays Off: My early investment in advertising on Meta, starting in August, played a pivotal role in acquiring and retaining customers for BFCM season, allowing us to build a highly engaged audience ahead of time.
2. Meta’s Influence: My strategic partnership with Meta and the use of its newest campaign type, Advantage Plus Shopping campaigns, allowed me to reach prospecting and retargeting audiences without the use of strict account structures.
3. Data-Driven Strategy: Leveraging data and insights from the previous year’s BFCM, especially understanding customer behavior during the holiday season, proved to be a critical driver of success.
4. Influencer Collaboration: Although the influencer program had been paused, I was still able to reach the same audience by using Meta as both customer acquisition + activation tool ahead of BFCM.