Black Friday Cyber Monday can feel like the Super Bowl of “percentage off.”
But this year, our favorite wins didn’t come from the biggest discounts. They came from the brands that spent all year building trust, audience, and offers that actually felt good to say yes to. We were exhausted, but fulfilled. Our clients crushed it for BFCM, and the dashboards were giving “very good things, worth having.”

In this post, I am walking through what happened, what worked, and how you can steal the strategy for next year’s BFCM without gutting your margins or your sanity.

And, if you’re so inclined, check out our 2024 BFCM Success Stories for even more good ideas to copy and steal. 

Monday: A Year of Audience Building, Then One Smart BFCM Offer

For one of our clients, an online custom menswear brand, we spent the year doing unglamorous work. Audience building. Email list growth. Showing up on social media. Dialing in their brand story.

For BFCM, we did not lead with a desperate discount. We led with a gift.

The offer: a very cool, very on brand hat with any purchase over 500 dollars. No complicated tiers. No 40 percent off that trains customers to wait for sales. Just:

“Spend at least 500 dollars, get a limited edition hat you will actually wear.”

What happened? Some very good things…

• Super strong BFCM sales while protecting pricing integrity
• Higher average order value
• A whole lot of people walking around with their brand on their heads, literally

How to use this BFCM Strategy for Your Brand: 

If you have a premium brand, think “valuable gift with purchase” before you jump to “biggest discount ever.” You are rewarding your best customers, not racing to the bottom.

Tuesday: VIP Email List First, Internet Second

For another client, a Michigan based manufacturer of gunsmithing tools, we’ve been quietly growing a very healthy email list in Klaviyo. We have spent the year driving awareness and sign ups.

For BFCM, we kept it simple.

The move:
10% off sitewide and A BFCM sneak peek that went to email subscribers first. They saw the offer before social. Before ads. Before the rest of the internet.

The numbers tell the story:

• 118% revenue growth year over year for the sale period
• 271% growth in revenue attributed to Klaviyo

From one strategic, VIP first email push.

How to Double Sales for BFCM in 2026?

Treat your email list like the inner circle.

• Give them early access.
• Speak to them like insiders.
• Let them shop before your public launch. (this works especially well if you sell a product that tends to go out of stock or on backorder – FOMO much?)

If you want Q4 to hit hard, build the list in March, April, and May. The “big weekend” is just the payoff.

Wednesday: Selling On Value, Not Panic Discounts

Midway through Cyber Monday, we got the slack notification of our dreams.

A very enthusiastic 8am Slack message from a client that basically said, “We already passed last year’s BFCM sales.”

Here is the important part. This year’s deal was actually less aggressive than the year before.

We were all a little nervous about that. It is easy to slide into deeper and deeper discounts every year. It is harder to pull back and trust that your value, brand, and experience can still carry the weekend.

But it worked.

Why:

• We had spent the year improving customer experience, content, and offers (we launched a new website, switched SEO and PPC vendors, and hired an amazing video guy.) 
• We spoke clearly about value, not just percent off
• We trained customers to buy because they love the brand, not because they are waiting for rock bottom pricing

By the time Cyber Monday was rolling, everything past that morning update was “gravy.”

How to sell on value, not price

If you want BFCM to be profitable, start by deciding what you are not willing to do.

• Do not train customers to only buy on deep discount
• Do not repeat last year’s offer just because “that is what we do”
• Do not assume more off always equals more revenue

You can absolutely run a strong BFCM and still feel good about your margins.

Thursday: Strategy Still Matters, Even During BFCM Week

Moving on from BFCM, we spent a full day in NYC with our bespoke tailoring client building their 2026 strategy house. Sticky notes everywhere. Big questions. Real decisions.

That is the Plum version of a good time.

We also “strategically planned” to be there for their company holiday party. Because yes, we take your numbers seriously, but we also care about the humans behind them. And, there was an ice luge and 18 year old scotch. So, we had to make the flight. 

Why this matters for BFCM:

• Your holiday results are not a one week problem
• They sit on top of your positioning, your pricing strategy, your list building, your tech stack, and your operations
• Taking even one day to zoom out and design where you want to be in 12 to 24 months can completely change how you show up next Q4

Strategy is our love language, and it does not take a holiday.

Friday: Very Good Teams Build Very Good Things

To wrap up the week, we hired a new Marketing Project Manager, Josh. In fact, he’s the one posting this blog that you’re reading! First week, we were smart enough to start him on Tuesday instead of Cyber Monday. He jumped in, kept things moving, and confirmed what we already know. The work is only as good as the people behind it.

Very good things need very good teams. On the client side and the partner side.

What All Of This Means For Your Next BFCM

If you are a founder or marketing leader thinking, “Cool, but how do I use this,” here is your roadmap.

1. Start Building Your Audience Now

Do not wait for October.

• Grow your email list steadily all year
• Use lead magnets, quizzes, and simple “get on the list” messages that match what people actually want
• Segment as you go so you can send tailored offers when it is time

2. Design VIP Treatment On Purpose

Reward your best people.

• Run “sneak peek” campaigns to your list before social and ads
• Give loyal buyers the cleanest, simplest path to checkout
• Consider exclusive gifts or access instead of just higher discounts

3. Protect Your Pricing Integrity

Please, we beg you. Decide your non-negotiables.

• Choose offers that make sense with your brand position
• Use gifts with purchase, bundles, or tiered value instead of racing to the lowest price
• Track contribution margin, not just top line revenue

4. Plan BFCM Inside a Bigger Strategy

Holidays are not an after-thought. They are part of your core marketing strategy.

• Set clear BFCM goals that ladder up to your annual targets
• Align offers with your inventory plan, new product roadmap, and cash flow
• Get your data house in order so you can see what worked by channel

5. Make Debriefing Non Negotiable

After BFCM, do a real retro. Have snacks, make it fun. But definitely do it.

• What worked that you want to do again
• What was painful that you never want to repeat
• Which channels, offers, and segments actually drove profit

Future you will thank you.

Quick FAQ: BFCM Strategy For Founder Led Brands

When should we start planning Black Friday Cyber Monday?
If you sell online, start sketching BFCM at your Q2 or early Q3 planning session. Finalize offers, creative, and tech checks by early October so November is about execution, not scrambling.

Do we have to “do” BFCM to keep up?
No. You do need a point of view, though. Some brands win by opting out and running a different type of campaign (we’re looking at you Sezane and Quince.) Some stay traditional and do deep discounts for that weekend. What matters is that your choice supports your positioning and your numbers.

Is discounting always bad?
No way! Discounts are a tool. They become a problem when they are your only lever. Use them sparingly, with intention, and in ways that protect your long term brand value.

How can a fractional CMO help with BFCM?
A fractional CMO can zoom out, tie your BFCM plan to your bigger strategy, align your agencies and in house team, and make sure the “math is mathing” across channels. You get executive level thinking without adding another full time senior leader to payroll.

If you read this and thought “I want my BFCM to feel like that next year,” that is the kind of work we love.

Contact us to be a part of Very good things, worth having.