Festive season frenzy: How to activate brand awareness this Black Friday and beyond

Enter shopper marketing and promotional brand activations. These aren't just buzzwords; they're proven strategies that can elevate your brand's visibility, engage shoppers at multiple touchpoints, and ultimately, drive sales. Create experiences that resonate, promotions that captivate, and most importantly, a brand presence that's impossible to ignore.

So, buckle up. We're about to delve into the nitty-gritty of how to maximise brand awareness this Black Friday and beyond, leveraging the power of shopper marketing and promotional brand activations. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a brand looking to make its mark, this is the playbook you've been waiting for.

1. The festive landscape: Why Black Friday is a goldmine for brands

Black Friday is more than just a shopping event; it's a cultural phenomenon. In South Africa, it marks the beginning of a festive season filled with summer braais, family gatherings, holidays and of course, shopping sprees. Not only do consumers splurge on gifts and electronics, but they stock up on staples to see them through festive. For brands, this is the moment to seize – a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression and drive sales. On the flip side, failing to show up on Black Friday is a missed opportunity to participate in a cultural phenomenon.

This year is an auspicious one for consumer goods in South Africa. According to GfK Consumer Life Global Research, nearly three quarters (72%) of South African consumers spent less on necessities due to rising prices, while 54% switched from premium to less expensive brands. However, 57% of South African consumers postponed a purchase until the product was on sale or there was a special offer. Against the backdrop, brands can safely assume that consumers will be on the hunt for deals on goods this Black Friday, and meeting those needs will see returns.

2. The power of shopper marketing: Turning browsers into buyers

Shopper marketing is not just about selling a product; it's about selling an experience. It's the art and science of understanding consumer behaviour, from the moment they enter the store to the point of purchase and beyond. By leveraging data and insights, shopper marketing allows you to create targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience, turning casual browsers into loyal buyers.

The beauty of Black Friday for brands is the fact that understanding consumer psychology is made simpler by well-documented FOMO, social proof and mob mentality that drive shopper behaviour. While some consumers are intentional about their purchases, planning in advance, many are simply shopping for good deals rather than specific products, opening new windows of consideration at point of purchase for brands that show up in shopper channels.

Promotions are the lifeblood of any Black Friday campaign. But how do you make yours stand out? The answer lies in a well-crafted shopper marketing strategy. From exclusive discounts to loyalty rewards, your promotions should be designed to offer real value to the consumer, making their shopping experience not just satisfying but memorable. Partnering with shopper marketing agency experts who understand your target customers and the competitive landscape can help you amplify your efforts and maximise returns.

3. Experiential marketing: The game-changer for Black Friday

Awareness precedes action. Making your shopper marketing experiential is how you maximise awareness and interest. It's about creating immersive experiences that move beyond incentivising purchase by allowing consumers to interact with your brand in meaningful and memorable ways.

Whether with a disruptive pop-up store, a virtual reality experience, or a live event, experiential marketing makes your brand unforgettable. Coupled with limited-time Black Friday deals, experiential marketing moves the needle from a sales and revenue perspective, too. It’s how we break through the noise of crowded markets and capture consumer attention. Experiential marketing coupled with shopper marketing means collapsing the funnel – moving consumers from awareness to action in a single sitting.

4. Why your activations agency is your secret weapon

Brand activations give your products and services a compelling presence in crowded markets. At no other time is this more important than during occasions like Black Friday when competition for attention and consideration peaks.

In the crowded marketplace, standing out is not an option; it's a necessity. But a successful brand activation is more than just a flashy event; it's a carefully orchestrated campaign that hits all the right notes. From the initial concept to the final execution, every element should be aligned with your brand's core values and objectives. And most importantly, it should offer a unique experience that leaves a lasting impression on the consumer.

This is where your activations agency comes into play. They are the architects of your brand's physical and digital presence, crafting campaigns that not only capture attention but also drive engagement and conversions.

5. Measuring success: KPIs every shopper marketer should know

Success in shopper marketing is not just about generating awareness and revenue; it's about generating actionable insights. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like engagement rate, conversion rate, and ROI are crucial metrics that help you gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns. If you're not measuring, you're not marketing.

Most shopper marketing campaigns will include multiple touchpoints and being able to attribute performance so that you can optimise efforts is key. Your shopper marketing partner should incorporate mechanisms that track KPIs across these multichannel touchpoints.

Trade marketing management platforms like Tradeway’s PromoForce enable close-to real-time reporting on activations, engagements and conversions in the field, taking the guesswork out of shopper marketing and brand activations.

6. The road ahead: Preparing for the festive season beyond Black Friday

Black Friday may be a significant milestone, but the festive season is a marathon, not a sprint. Brands need to maintain momentum by continuously engaging consumers through targeted campaigns, exclusive offers, and unforgettable experiences.

Take time to identify touchpoints in buyer journeys where consumer needs are greatest and make sure your brand shows up with authentic and innovative solutions that meet those needs. Over Black Friday, this may mean the need for exclusive deals, over the holidays it may mean the need for convenience or gifting solutions.

Whatever your product or service, make sure the consumer is at the centre of your strategies, and that your tactics and mechanics are geared to meet their needs at every phase of the holiday shopper journey. Partner with an activations agency with strong strategic capabilities and a insight-led approach to the market.

Conclusion: Why shopper marketing and brand activations are non-negotiables

In today's competitive landscape, shopper marketing and brand activations are not just nice-to-haves; they are essential components of a successful marketing strategy. They offer the unique advantage of connecting with consumers on a personal level, making your brand not just another option but the preferred choice. We can help you – from strategy, to creative, to execution – contact us now for full service below-the-line activations that maximise your brand’s presence – this Black Friday and beyond!